Week 39
Psalm 73:23-24 “Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.”
There are times in life when God’s people get “off track.” In such moments, we tend to drift into wrong thinking about God and the main issues of life. This is especially true when we are scared, anxious, and face doubt. The psalmist felt all of those things; the surface of his life perceptions led him to make wrong deductions about life, God, others, and himself (see verses 1-16). The result was that he was troubled and disillusioned.
But then, the psalmist had an “awakening.” He woke up to the realities that had been hidden from his remembrance, and it had a profound impact on him. This awakening was like an epiphany for him. Suddenly, he saw clearly the vital and significant realities to which he had been blind, and it made all the difference. At the center of this renewal of soul was his clearly seeing his God.
In the midst of this, the psalmist amazingly saw four realities that gripped him with solid peace and assurance: 1) God’s continual presence; 2) God’s stabilizing hold; 3) God’s never-erring counsel; and 4) God’s promise for eternity. Even though the psalmist felt abandoned by God, still God was with him continually and perpetually. Often God does not announce His presence to us, but He is with us in love and grace. God’s hand had hold of the psalmist, even when the psalmist did not know it. How often we would plunge headfirst into the chasm of the dark abyss if God would not hold us securely in His omnipotent and loving hand! The Lord provided counsel and guidance as the psalmist walked through the complicated paths of life. And finally, the Lord granted that when this life ends, He will give to His people a home with Him in glory. The psalmist saw that the Lord had provided everything he needed in this life and the next.
Sometimes we misread our situation, and when we do, we misjudge God! There is nothing more vital in life than to rightly understand life through the lens of divine wisdom and truth. If we assume wrong presuppositions and embrace wrong deductions, then surely darkness will overtake us, and with the darkness comes despair. How desperately we need God’s light of truth and grace! Truth will set us free to live in the freedom and joy of God’s grace.
Christian friend, the lens of affliction will usually give us a warped understanding of our true situation. We must not assume that we accurately and truly know what we should know if we allow our pain to dictate our understanding. We would be wise to see life through the lens of God’s truth found in Scripture. The Bible is a trustworthy guide to the reality of all things that characterize our lives; God through a right understanding of the Scripture gives us perspective that undergirds and guides us through the fog of misunderstanding. Lean on our Lord by believing His Word and trusting His grace!
Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes I find myself misinterpreting You in my life troubles, and when this happens, I slip into a ditch of doubt and struggle. Please help me to have a healthy sense of self-distrust and give to me the certainty that Your Word is true, Your presence is constant, Your provision for me is sufficient, and You will take me to heaven when I die. Fortified with these gifts, help me to overcome. Amen.