Jump Start # 1196

Psalms 37:1 “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart!”

  Psalms 37 is an honest journey of someone who nearly tripped and stumbled spiritually. It wasn’t a fall into temptation that hurt the writer. Rather, it was seeing what appeared to be an imbalance and unfairness tilting toward the wicked. The wicked lived better, died better and seemed better than the righteous. That messed with the writer’s faith. What’s the point of serving God if misery follows? Those same thoughts trouble many today. The righteous try to pay their bills on time, they try to be honest, they try to be faithful in all things. The wicked seem to drive newer and nicer cars, live in bigger homes and flaunt how they cheat the system. It doesn’t seem right.

The Psalmist admitted that his foot nearly slipped. He wondered aloud if he had kept his innocence in vain. His vindication came when he perceived the end of the wicked. Things weren’t so good for the wicked then. This revelation came when he came into the sanctuary of God. There he saw fairness, justice and the benefits of faithfulness.

There are some lessons for us to remember.

First, we shouldn’t compare ourselves and our situation with anyone. Each story is different. It’s hard to know what’s behind each story. The person with all the stuff may have big debt. They may have gotten an inheritance that you don’t know about. They may simply make more money than you do. Comparing ourselves only makes us feel cheated and on the short end of the stick.

Second, stuff doesn’t matter. I had a little incident at the car rental recently. They messed things up for me and to make it right they let me drive the nicest car they had. It was amazing. It was a guys dream. Buttons and gadgets everywhere. It was fun. There is no way that I could afford that car. Everyplace I went to I felt compelled to tell my car rental story so they didn’t think I was Mr. Big Shot. We can put way too much emphasis upon things. The worth of things is not the value of our souls nor the description of our hearts. At the end of our journey all this stuff goes to someone else. Jealousy can eat at our souls and turn us into a bitter person if we are not careful.

Third, the Psalmist admitted that his foot nearly slipped because of someone else. It wasn’t that he was so poorly treated, but the fact that he thought others were treated so much better than he was. He failed to count his blessings. As our verse today states, “God is good to Israel.” God is good to me. God is good to you. He has blessed us. He has been there for us. He has forgiven us. He has not abandoned us when He should have. He believes in us and wants us to be with Him. Those thoughts, those blessings counted, those  hopes renewed, keeps our feet in sure places. No one can say that God has not blessed them. These thoughts are what keep us going. God is good to us. What is there to complain about?

Fourth, somewhere we’ve picked up the idea that we are to never have a cloudy day, a bump in the road, a tough time, or a trial in our life. The moment these things happen, is the moment that some begin throwing in the towel on God. All it takes is the word “cancer,” or “No, you don’t get the job,” for some to slip from God. The book of James shows us the value of trials. An easy way and smooth sailing can make us soft and take God for granted. There are lessons learned in trials that cannot be learned anywhere else. Instead of fighting these times, we ought to open our eyes and see what we can learn during them. They can help us and strengthen us. Remember, it was the shepherd that led the sheep through the valleys.

God is good. He is so good to me.

Roger