May 13th — Psalm 73

“Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 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. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth. Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.” Psalm 73:1-10

What do you do when your theology, your beliefs about how G-d works in the world clashes with what G-d is truly like? Many people have the false belief that if they have a strong faith, then nothing bad will happen to them. So, how do you hold to the conviction that G-d is good, that G-d cares intimately about all people, even when life stinks?

We all have our struggles, our depressions, our sadness and our pain — times when we feel so alone and have no ready answers for why bad things happen to seemingly good people. This is one of the reasons we turn to the Psalms, where the raw emotions of real people are expressed — where deep reservoirs of truth are found that can help us all through these tough times. I want you to remember and to never forget this axiom: GOD IS ALWAYS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.

G-d does not abandon us nor forsake us when times get tough. G-d continues to love us beyond all measure and will make G-d’s self known in ways we often miss and forget. We begin our services with these words: G-d is good all the time, and all the time G-d is good. They are words to live by — always.

PRAYER

God our strength, you give honor to the pure in heart and uphold all who trust in you. Deliver us from chasing after this world’s illusions, that we may follow instead the imperishable truth of your Word in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.