25 Aug God Around Us (Day #3 of “Five Psalms”)
Read Psalm 73
Thought for the Day: God is in control. He is around us!
The Book of Psalms has traditionally been divided into five smaller “books”. The third (from Chapters 73 – 89) shows us that God is always present and surrounding us. Even when we feel like good loses and evil wins, we can remember that God, the God Around Us, is not finished! Consider Psalm 73, which is written from the perspective of a person discouraged by continually seeing the “bad guys” win : “I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.”
On July 1, 1978, I was a college student on Summer Project for Campus Crusade in Lake Tahoe. A number of us were employed in the kitchen of Harrah’s Casino. That morning, as we carpooled together, I asked my Jan to stop her car and pull over when we were in front of the casino. You see, the day before, the owner, Bill Harrah had died suddenly. It was, to say the least, THE news of the day. I asked my friends to get out of the car with me. As we did, I exclaimed, “Look! He didn’t take it with him!”
I don’t know anything about Bill Harrah’s spiritual life, but at that moment I suddenly thought about the end of my own life. That experience reminded me that each of us has a limited number of days. In the end, none of us take our worldly successes with us. Whether we are rich or poor, famous or obscure, we will all one day leave the things of this world behind. How we love God and others is all that matters. During the times that others seem to prosper while we feel like we are failing, let’s take time to focus on what really matters.
When we read Psalm 73, we realize that we don’t need to try to figure out why the grass sometimes seems greener for others. Instead, we can trust God and remember that He is all around us. With this knowledge, we can trust in Him and move forward with confidence in every situation!
In Christ,
Pastor Stan (and David)
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