Our reading today is from Psalm 111. This chapter is the beginning of what are called the “Hallelujah Psalms,” which are chapters 111 to 118. Hallelujah means “praise the Lord” as these chapters express an uplifting and optimistic tone.
I have been reading a book entitled “Gentle and Lowly,” written by Dane Ortlund which talks about who Jesus Christ is and how He and His Father, God, have a heart for us. The book addresses throughout scriptures where God is “gentle and lowly,” not vindictive and spiteful, toward sinners and sufferers.
As a believer, I choose to believe that God wants what is best for me. He is pleased when I praise and fear Him. He is not pleased when I sin or turn away from Him. I believe that events and happenings in my life are there to turn me toward God and His infinite promises.
The best part about faith in Christ is knowing that as a man who walked the earth, Jesus truly understands the emotions of sin, suffering, sadness, and strife. He looks at us as imperfect beings that need Him to find fulfillment. The things of this world will not fulfill us.
Verse 4 in Psalms 111 says, “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.”
My family has had recent conversations about “why bad things happen.” It is very tough to understand when tragedy strikes. We see throughout human history examples of profound and abhorrent sin. There have been wars, the killing of people because of their religion or ethnicity, and numerous events where we see human suffering and pain at its worst. And we continue to see horrific events in our world today. Why does God let these things happen?
I continue to remind myself that the difficulties of this world, although exhausting at times, are present to draw us closer to our Savior. Difficulties, tragedy, sadness, and disappointment are inevitable. Times like these will happen in our lives but don’t last forever. The emptiness that is felt in these situations is truly felt by believers as much as it is by non-believers. I believe no matter how bad or sad the situation, God has a purpose. The suffering is real and can be overwhelming but the strength and resilience that can come from bad situations can point us to our true Father when we “throw ourselves” to praise Him.
The difference is that I as a believer know that I will never be satisfied and fulfilled while on earth. If I continue to strive for acceptance and happiness through the materiality of this world, I will always be disappointed.
I acknowledge that God is my source of wisdom, and He is compassionate to me. I may not always understand why things happen to me, or others, but I trust God. I know He wants what is best for me and will work through the good and bad to do so.
God’s path for our lives is not always straight and smooth but he assures us we can reach our destination with grace and strength, with Him by our side.
