"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are
attentive to their cry;16 but the face of the Lord is against those
who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.17 The righteous
cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit.19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord
delivers him from them all;” Psalm 34:15-19
First the Bad News…
I’m
just going to confess, I don’t like certain parts of the Bible. Well, to clarify – there are truths…realities
that it speaks of that I really wish weren’t true. Take this one for instance: “The righteous person may have many troubles…”
I wish that weren’t true. Don’t
you?
I wish
there were some magic deal we could strike with the Lord where if we “do all
the do’s” and “don’t do all the don’ts” that no hardship, no trouble, no
suffering would ever befall us. Bad
people would stay away. We’d always have
plenty of money. Our marriages and
children would always be trouble-free and happy. We would be popular and well respected by
everyone, never having any difficulties of any kind. Everything would ALWAYS go
our way. Wouldn’t that be grand?
Of
course, it’ll never happen. Nobody gets
that life. One of the harshest realities
we have to face in growing up is that life isn’t fair. Good people get cancer. Bad people sometimes get all the breaks. Loved ones sometimes die way too soon. Sometimes love is viciously betrayed and
trust is irreparably shattered. Much of
life is simply very, very…very hard. That’s just the way it is.
Now the Good News…
But
before we fall too deeply into the pit of despair, let us also be reminded that
it is also very, very good. If we
remember to look for them, the rewards of this life far outweigh the bad parts. Life is rich with wonder, and beauty, and great
rewards such as love and friendship, laughter, and innumerable pleasurable and
exciting experiences, textures, and sensations.
It is
good news also, that even in the midst of life’s hardships; our Lord God is
powerfully present! The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are
attentive to their cry...” “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he
delivers them from all their troubles.” and “The Lord is
close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
My Dad has oft repeated the truism: “Sometimes, God
removes the storm. Sometimes, He calms
his child and holds us until the storm passes by.” Yes, “the righteous may
have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” I am both
comforted, and encouraged by that truth. From time to time, life is very hard. But God is loving, God is good, and the heart
of God is toward those whom he loves. He
will carry us through.
Prayer:
Father God, Thank
you for all of the blessings of this life!
For food and shelter, for family and friends... And when life is rough, I am so thankful for
your powerful presence in hard times. I
am thankful, even if reluctantly so, for the lessons and growth I receive
through hardship. Thank you for being so good.
Thank you for being a shelter and a refuge in times of trouble. In
Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Submitted By Kerry Patton
