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.

May 12th — Psalm 72

“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth. In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles

render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.” Psalm 72:1-11

I’m not sure about you but I’m getting tired, and I am sick of worrying about getting sick. This world is heading in a direction that seems less and less certain to me. The rule of people on this planet has been a dismal failure since the beginning of time. It has been filled with mostly oppression, injustice and corruption. Money and power talk on this planet, not the righteousness of G-d, nor G-d’s wisdom and justice. The world is ever more upside down and inside out. Bad is good; up is down — Left is right; right is wrong. Evil is good; insanity is sanity. Abnormal is normal.

The Western world especially is moving and changing, and not necessarily for the better. Christians who believe that G-d created all things, and that G-d is in all things are quick to be labelled crazy.

What a crazy world we live in. But this is the world that G-d has given to all of us. Like the Psalmist, we pray for the leaders of this world — in America and across the globe. We can only pray that more leaders will see the need for the love of G-d to be made manifest in their ruling and in their lives. If we truly believe that prayer is powerful and effective, then now is the time to be a prayer warrior.

PRAYER

Almighty God, you gave the kingdom of justice and peace to your servant David. Extend to every nation the dominion of our Lord Jesus, David’s son, so that in the light of his reign the poor may receive justice and all people of the earth may dwell in peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.