When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.” vs. 17
Psalm 34:15-22
The psalmist was convinced that the Lord was just and would make sure that the righteous would ultimately be vindicated. He recognizes that good people will sometimes have bad things happen to them but firmly believes that God will listen to their cries for help and rescue them. We applaud such convictions and want badly to affirm them, but sometimes we wonder. Does God always come through for us when the chips are down? We’re so aware of the awful calamities that befall decent folks every single day. We’ve read the stories of atrocities that claimed the lives of millions of innocents. We’ve seen the pictures of children killed and maimed by the savageries of tyrants. Where is God in all of those horrendous events? What shall we make of scriptural assurances that seem to fly in the face of reality? The psalmist was no fool. He was very aware of the things that we wonder about. His times were no different than our own. But he chooses to believe that the Lord does care–in spite of evidence to the contrary. And so do we! It’s unthinkable to believe that ultimately evil will triumph! And so we continue to echo the assuring words of the psalmist. God does care–and is never absent in the midst of suffering. And because of God’s presence within and around us we dare to claim that goodness and life will have the last word! In the battle against evil, God wins!
Thought for the Day: When am I most likely to feel “let down” by God?
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