“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” Psalms 27:1-14 NLT
What I take from this passage is the struggle to do right by God and man, express itself out in trust and patience. Trust that God will provide and do what’s best and patience to allow God to do it. In other words the ability of long suffering. To sacrifice and wait for God’s timing. This concept is hard though very simple, as not everything is immediate nor should be. That’s especially hard to grasp when you grow up in a society where everything is immediate or seeking to be. Then the idea of claiming God’s promises in the middle of trials, ends up feeling like a “betrayal” when in reality it is an opportunity. An opportunity for growth, to worship God, or help others in the moment or in the future. We love others because God loved us first. He sets the standard. We either choose to follow God or not. We can struggle or make mistakes but it’s the commitment to trust and continue to do so that matters. Today is Good Friday, the day we remember Christ’s sacrifice. When we struggle and we feel as I said earlier “betrayal” or “betrayed” by God you have got to put that in context. Christ suffered for us. Christ was unified in his outworking doing the father’s will not his own. He sacrificed for us and trusted in God. He was in right relationship with his father and right in his relationship with man. That is the example we are given. The standard of relationships we are called to have. The “betrayal” we feel when we have to wait isn’t comparable or accurate to the situation. God isn’t at fault for your evil thoughts, you are. Of course there is grace but that is only because God loves us and we are unworthy of that love. Thankfully, we have grace. God doesn’t let us suffer beyond what we can bear and always makes things work out for the good of those he loves.
This post first appeared on my personal website.
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