Tag: Psalm 73

Cliff Collapse… and Psalm 73

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

If you’re standing on the wrong part of the edge of this cliff, it’s goodnight Irene.

Watching this calls Psalm 73 to mind, verses 3, 18–

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked… But! Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castest them down into destruction.

One moment they’re riding high; in the next, the cliff gives way. Jagged rocks below, etc. How often in history do we see that pattern? We’ve probably seen it in everyday life.

The wicked think they’re getting away with it. God’s Word says they aren’t.

Let us hold on to our faith. We need it.

 

Psalm 74: ‘Arise, O God’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I’ve been meaning to post this Psalm for some days now. Like Psalm 73–both of them are by Asaph–No. 74 seems to go right to the heart of today’s concerns and tribulations.

In Psalm 73, Asaph expresses his frustration at seeing how the wicked prosper in this world, but then reminds himself, sternly, that all that wealth and power counts for nothing with God.

Here, in No.74, Asaph can’t help wondering why God seems to be doing nothing while wicked people blaspheme His name and vandalize His Church. And who of us has never asked about that? “Arise, O God, and plead thine own cause!” cries Asaph. Lord, why do you tolerate this stuff? How long is it to go on?

You can’t live in this fallen world and never say or think those words. Especially now.

Does the Bible not assure us that God is, by our standards, astonishingly patient and long-suffering? And it’s a good thing He is, or we’d have all been wiped out long ago. God is not willing for anyone to perish, says St. Peter, but rather that all should come to repentance. And Ezekiel teaches the same.

God understands our spiritual anguish. That’s why Asaph’s psalms are in the Bible.

 

Hear It, Heed It: Psalm 73

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

My daily Bible reading yesterday brought me to Psalm 73, and it went straight to my heart. I hope it stays there.

God help us! How often do we envy the prosperity of the wicked? They’ve got it made! Who restrains them from evil? Why do they never seem to get punished, no matter what they do?

Ah. But God’s gonna cut them down. Meanwhile He is with us, He hears our prayers, He has prepared a place for us. But the wicked and the ungodly “whose eyes stand out for fatness” will have no place in His Kingdom. Their riches won’t save them. They can’t mandate their way out of Hell. They can’t buy off the Righteous Judge.

God has not forgotten us.

‘Farther Along’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Joshua sent us this hymn performed by his brother, Jeremy–Farther Along. There are echoes of the Psalms in here: makes me think of Psalm 73 in particular. “Surely God is good to Israel… But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped…” Thank you, Swanson brothers.

Does God Care What I Think?

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Image result for images of religious scholars debating

St. Peter tells us “that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation [or origin]. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

We don’t make it up as we go along. Scripture is the authoritative word of God, handed down by God to us through individuals He chose to do so.

One of the reasons I’m cautious about venturing into the theology shop is because of a bad habit that I need to leave outside: that whole business of reading some of the Bible and then adding onto it the magic words, “Well, I think…”

God already knows what I think, and knows it better than I do.

I think (oops!) I once convinced a guy on my chess page that Christian homeschooling is a good thing, but that’s the only evidence I have that I’ve ever changed anyone’s mind about anything. I’m sure most of you can say the same.

Here on this blog, some of us have been discussing Hell, its reality or non-existence, the fate of unrepentant sinners who reject Christ, and the interpretation of various scriptures bearing on those topics.

I was going to write, “Well, I think Hell is…” But what profit would there be in that, to anyone who reads it? Who would say to himself, “Now fancy that! Looks like I’ve got this Hell thing all wrong. Good thing there’s this guy in New Jersey to straighten me out”?

So what I’ll write instead is this.

It is important to know the truth, and God’s word is the truth. The Bible is God’s word. Therefor we arrive at truth by reading the Bible with an open heart and a thirsting mind. The Lord loves those who hunger and thirst for truth and righteousness.

We must believe, as Abraham believed: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Of course He will.

To rail against God because we don’t understand something He’s done, or not done, is even more absurd than a tiny carpet beetle denouncing the homeowner for vacuuming the rug. Maybe we’re mad because we’ve misunderstood entirely. Or understood, but only incompletely.

God puts up with it because He loves us. See Psalm 73: some things never change.

We can’t expect to know all spiritual things while we’re still in the flesh. It isn’t common sense to think we can.

Prayer and trust and Bible-reading will always stand us in good stead–whether we agree about what Hell really is or not.

Meanwhile, try to avoid going there.