![]() Thank you for continuing to be with us and to hold our right hands. Thank you, in particular, for not rejecting us or abandoning us when we struggle to understand you or believe in you. PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being with us in all times. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: If you have gone through times of doubt in your life, can you see in retrospect that God was with you, guiding you and caring for you? How do you experience God holding your right hand? Do you need God's guidance and presence in a special way today? Rather, he is present in our lives, both to reassure us and to guide us. God does not reject us in times of doubt. God is present with us, not when only when we are trusting him and delighting in his goodness, but also when we aren't at all sure about his goodness. It reassures us even if our hearts are infected with bitterness. Psalm 73 offers good news to all of us, especially when we are going through times of doubt and questioning. Even when the psalmist was being a fool, even when he was questioning God's judgment and justice, even when his heart was embittered, God did not abandon him. But then he adds: "Yet I still belong to you you hold my right hand" (73:24). He confesses, "I was so foolish and ignorant–I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you" (73:22). Even when he realized that the wicked would someday experience God's judgment, the psalm writer had a bitter heart (73:21). The psalmist wonders whether it has been worth the effort to keep his heart pure (73:13). Psalm 73 begins with a long complaint about the apparent blessing of the wicked. Yet, what makes this image of God's presence particularly moving is the context in which it comes. You guide me with your counsel" (73:23-24). Psalm 73 pictures God in this way, as a strong, heavenly guide: "ou hold my right hand. (Today, it's just as likely that they'd offer their support to me as vice versa.) In these tricky spots, I'd offer my hand to my children, guiding them and helping them from slipping. At times, these cross-country excursions would lead us to unbridged creeks or broad boulder fields. But, once in a while, we'd venture off into the wilderness. Usually, we hiked along carefully cleared trails. They were energetic hikers for their age and could easily cover a dozen miles in a day. When my children were young, I loved to go hiking with them in the High Sierra of California. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Yet I still belong to you you hold my right hand. I was so foolish and ignorant- I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work.Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership.Evangelism - Sharing the Gospel at Work.10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know.
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