Psalm 73
This morning, the sun is shining, and our rhododendron is bright red with the background of woods and rocks. How beautiful! I put on a favorite album of film classics, opened my Bible, and read the words from Psalm 73. It is not one I have read frequently but today it seemed to speak a new word for me.
If I had gone to a news channel first, the morning would have begun differently. I would hear of wars, political bickering and posturing, financial woes, and advertising of products everywhere. It could change the way I begin and live my day. It could arouse great anxiety, fear, and even hatred.
But reaching for my Bible first, reading God’s Word to find hope and courage, better equips me to discern what it means to live in God’s world. It helps me separate the things that are from God and those things that are opposed to God’s Kingdom living. As the Psalmist says,
Truly God is good …
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pain;
their bodies are sound and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not plagued like other people.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out with fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against heaven,
and their tongues range over the earth.
10 Therefore the people turn and praise them
and find no fault in them.
I think it is important to know what is going on in our world and community. With such knowledge I can pray for those in need or those with major responsibilities to help our community, nation, and world find solutions or peaceful resolutions for issues beyond my scope of expertise. This information can help me be more sensitive to places where I can make a positive impact. It can also give me a chance to analyze the position I take regarding politics, religions, and people who think differently than me. In whom do I put my trust? The Psalmist concludes with these words:
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
to tell of all your works.
Amen. Amen.