One can read this Psalm and think, “Oh, yes, when I fear the Lord everything will turn out wonderfully.” Children, great. Wealth and riches, great, and so on.
But is this Psalm a promise of the wonderful life if we only fear the Lord? In broad strokes, yes, but in particulars not always.
I know too many who love and fear the Lord who have gone through pain and trial and difficult times. Even other Psalms are prayers during difficult times.
As I wrestled with this, my eyes fell on verse 8: Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. I shouted YES! In the end they [we] will look in triumph on their foes. No matter how things turn out this side of eternity, I know that my God will win in the end and all who stand with Him will be on the winning side then, too!
No matter the frustration I am facing at this point in my life, God will win in the end and His foes will be vanquished and His followers will be invited into paradise with Him for eternity.
I cling to this truth and pray to Jesus for strength to hold onto my faith in my ever changing and faith-challenging world…
Lord, I pray for my world… for the political scene, which seems to becoming more polarized and more harsh in tone and rhetoric and less loving in action and caring. Lord, I pray for my neighbors who dive more and more deeply into loving the world and the pleasures of the world and move further and further from You. Lord, I pray for my local church that we would rise up in faith and live the Gospel message even as we hold out Your hope to our hurting world. I pray for myself and my family that we would be faithful to You above all things… I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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