ODJ: something good
February 5, 2011
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper (v.3).
READ: Psalm 37:1-9
Last April in Johannesburg, South Africa, large crowds lined up to purchase tickets to the World Cup— the first Cup ever to be held in the African continent. One man (the 565th person in line) passed away as he waited to purchase tickets. A FIFA official told reporters that there was a “massive demand for tickets.” Energy and excitement had struck the continent, as ecstatic fans eagerly awaited soccer’s greatest tournament.
Scripture tells us that God’s people are waiting. Waiting for God to make wrong right, to heal what is wounded, and to awaken to life that which is dead. And the Scripture tells us that this waiting isn’t in vain. Our hopes aren’t based in a fairytale. Our deepest hopes will be fulfilled. Something good is coming.
The psalmist tells us that the world we know pits the wicked (those who refuse God) against the righteous (those who find their hope in God). It often seems to us as though the wicked do well, while the righteous suffer. The psalmist, however, insists that the story’s end will be much different. The wicked will “fade away,” but those who trust (find hope in) the Lord will receive their “heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:2,4).
The difficulty for us is to trust that God’s promise is true. When those with power exploit the weak, when the political machine chews up the helpless, and when those bent on arrogance and selfishness and unscrupulous profit always seem to win, it requires deep faith to remain confident in God’s ultimate triumph. It requires immense courage to resist the lie that we must join the ranks of the wicked in order to find fulfillment. Yet God tells us to “wait patiently for Him to act” (v.7).
God will act. Something good is coming. —Winn Collier
How would you describe your anticipation that God is up to something good in your world? Where can you see God’s good activity?
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