Happy Sunday!
Bishop Alexis A. Thomas preached, "Keep Doing It God's Way!" He used Psalm 73 as his reference scripture.
Everyday we can see examples of dishonesty. The employee that comes to work late, but submits a time sheet for 8 full hours. The Tour De France cyclist that lied about using banned substances to win. The Chinese gymnastic team using underage girls in an attempt to win gold medals. So many lies! That's why it's so refreshing to see honesty! The honest person that returns a wallet full of money to its rightful owner, the godly husband who remains faithful in spite of the temptation, the courageous bystanders that refuse to see injustice. I appreciate honesty!
The writer of Psalm 73 was named Asaph. Asaph wrote honestly about his life as a believer. He let others know that sometimes life is hard. Sometimes things happen that we cannot understand or explain. As my mother-in-law, Minnie Pruitt, used to say, "Sometimes the good have to suffer with the bad."
Asaph starts his song with a disclaimer. He says, "No doubt about it! God is good—good to good people, good to the good-hearted." Then he begins to tell the truth about himself...,"But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness." WOW! The praise leader nearly missed it! How can that be? Henry Ford said, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." We all can be distracted. The enemy knows exactly what it will take to get you to focus on the wrong thing.
Asaph continues, "I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world. Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence, Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness. They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words.
They’re full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace. People actually listen to them—can you believe it? Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words." Psalm 73 (Message Translation)
Asaph then says what many of us have wanted to say but were too afraid, "What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody’s tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I’ve been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that’s what—a slap in the face every time I walk out the door."
Then Asaph has moment of clarity and says, "Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture:" When he enters God's presence he realizes, "The slippery road you’ve put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions. In the blink of an eye, disaster! A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare! We wake up and rub our eyes. . . . Nothing. There’s nothing to them. And there never was."
Asaph repents, " When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me."
My mother used to say, "Even teeth and tongue fall out." Interpreted, that means sometimes we bite our own tongue. Even though our teeth and tongue live together in harmony, sometimes they don't agree. God understands. He has no problem with us being honest about our feelings. He has no problem with us asking the hard questions. He has no problem showing us how much he loves us and revealing to us how things really do work together for our good and his Glory. Asaph found his answers in the presence of God. Then he proclaimed, "You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!" Psalm 73 (Message Translation)
Keep Doing It God's Way! Keep Doing It God's Way! Keep Doing It God's Way!
Love and Prayers, Cynthia
P.S. - Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. ~J.C. Watts
Bishop Alexis A. Thomas preached, "Keep Doing It God's Way!" He used Psalm 73 as his reference scripture.
Everyday we can see examples of dishonesty. The employee that comes to work late, but submits a time sheet for 8 full hours. The Tour De France cyclist that lied about using banned substances to win. The Chinese gymnastic team using underage girls in an attempt to win gold medals. So many lies! That's why it's so refreshing to see honesty! The honest person that returns a wallet full of money to its rightful owner, the godly husband who remains faithful in spite of the temptation, the courageous bystanders that refuse to see injustice. I appreciate honesty!
The writer of Psalm 73 was named Asaph. Asaph wrote honestly about his life as a believer. He let others know that sometimes life is hard. Sometimes things happen that we cannot understand or explain. As my mother-in-law, Minnie Pruitt, used to say, "Sometimes the good have to suffer with the bad."
Asaph starts his song with a disclaimer. He says, "No doubt about it! God is good—good to good people, good to the good-hearted." Then he begins to tell the truth about himself...,"But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness." WOW! The praise leader nearly missed it! How can that be? Henry Ford said, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." We all can be distracted. The enemy knows exactly what it will take to get you to focus on the wrong thing.
Asaph continues, "I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world. Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence, Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness. They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words.
They’re full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace. People actually listen to them—can you believe it? Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words." Psalm 73 (Message Translation)
Asaph then says what many of us have wanted to say but were too afraid, "What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody’s tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I’ve been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that’s what—a slap in the face every time I walk out the door."
Then Asaph has moment of clarity and says, "Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture:" When he enters God's presence he realizes, "The slippery road you’ve put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions. In the blink of an eye, disaster! A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare! We wake up and rub our eyes. . . . Nothing. There’s nothing to them. And there never was."
Asaph repents, " When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me."
My mother used to say, "Even teeth and tongue fall out." Interpreted, that means sometimes we bite our own tongue. Even though our teeth and tongue live together in harmony, sometimes they don't agree. God understands. He has no problem with us being honest about our feelings. He has no problem with us asking the hard questions. He has no problem showing us how much he loves us and revealing to us how things really do work together for our good and his Glory. Asaph found his answers in the presence of God. Then he proclaimed, "You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God—oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!" Psalm 73 (Message Translation)
Keep Doing It God's Way! Keep Doing It God's Way! Keep Doing It God's Way!
Love and Prayers, Cynthia
P.S. - Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. ~J.C. Watts
No comments:
Post a Comment