Today’s Reading:
Psalm 73: 21-28
"Memory Verse: For behold, those who are far from you will perish. You have destroyed all those who leave you for harlotry.” (Psalm 73:27)
Life at times if not most times appears to be a puzzle or irony that is difficult to unravel. There are numerous questions on this side of the divide that go on in the mind of people especially the righteous and most of those questions remain unanswered. Why the servants ride on horses and princes walk as servants on earth (Eccl. 10:7). Why a just man perishes in his righteousness and a wicked man prolongs his life in his wickedness (Eccl. 7:15). One commits an offence and at the court he is declared discharged and acquitted while an innocent person is imprisoned. Judiciary that supposed to be the last hope of the common man has been turned to woe of the common man. The lapses in the judiciary and justice delivery system have hampered and halted the administration of justice especially in this country. Based on my experience, I have visited prisons in Nigeria where I saw innocent people rot in jails while the guilty are walking freely on the streets. The cry of the righteous are being ignored. What a calamitous situation!
The theme of Psalm 73 is a question that was addressed in the book of Job. The Psalmist wondered why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. The answer to the question is that God has created an environment in which free-moral individuals can interact and prosper according to their own abilities. It is also an environment wherein the righteous can be taken advantage of by the wicked and thus the wicked use the environment for their own self-interest. Because the minds of the righteous are on spiritual things, they are often the victims of those who do not think beyond this world. At times, suffering is part of the instrument God uses to shape his children into becoming a better person because no bastard will inherit eternal life (I Peter 2:21-23; 4:1 & 16; 5:10). If you are going through a particular suffering as a righteous person, having examined yourself and discovered you are guiltless just endure it. God might be taking you through a fire so that at the end you will shine like gold. The righteous may also suffer due to ignorance, for the scriptures say that my people perish for lack of knowledge. When the righteous don’t know their right, suffering is bound to happen.
The last words of the Psalmist in Psalm 73:21-28 were confessions. The psalmist realised the folly of envying the prosperity of the wicked because his end is destruction. He felt grieved that he had ventured into a desire of being as the unrighteous wealthy. His envy was based on ignorance of the life of the wicked. He renewed his commitment to the Lord being assured that God would receive him into glory. He chose to remain close to God on earth in order to eternally remain in the presence of God. He did not desire to commit spiritual adultery with the things of the world (James 4:4). There is hope for the righteous which transcends this terrestrial, keep your hope in God alive and you are sure of eternal rest which the wicked cannot enjoy Matthew 25:46, II Thessalonians 1:6-9.
JAMES ALADE
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “Father, I acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness, in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart and lead me in Your path of righteousness. Thank you, Lord.”
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! Prayerfully look for a living church and report to the resident reverend, pastor or priest.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, empower my heart to lean on you absolutely in Jesus’ name
I will not envy the ungodly and thereby misbehave in Jesus’ name
For as many who have given up on God due to life challenges, may their strength be renewed in Jesus’ name.
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