Day 12
Read Psalm 37
Lent is a time of private, personal preparation and reflection. Most of the Psalms we will look at during these 40 days are intended to help us look inward. But, it is always good to remember the big picture as well. Psalm 37 is a big picture Psalm. The question before David here is: “Will the wicked always win?” His answer is found in the opening lines, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon whither, like green plants they will soon die away.” The question is once again about justice. And David assures us that justice will prevail.
David’s description of the wicked is alarmingly similar to the times we find ourselves in – “The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and the needy” (vs. 14). They “borrow and do not repay” (vs. 21), and they appear to be “flourishing like a green tree in its native soil” (vs. 35). When we consider how the decisions of a few powerful people impact the lives of millions, it's easy to ask the question: will the wicked always win? David’s answer is: no. Though they appear to flourish now, the wicked will not always win. Justice will come.
As we look forward to Jesus’ death and resurrection it is always important to remember that while Jesus’ sacrifice was intensely personal, as we remember when we partake of the bread and the cup in Communion, “Christ’s body broken for you, Christ’s blood shed for you,” Jesus’ sacrifice also had corporate and cosmic ramifications. That is, Jesus’ resurrection was not just a run-of-the-mill miracle (if there is such a thing) it was the beginning of the restoration of all things. God’s plan is not simply to restore each of our own individual, private lives but to “reconcile to Himself all things” as Paul says in Colossians. This Lent, we of course want to reflect on the forgiveness and healing Christ brings to our individual lives. But, we also want to remember the big picture – a whole world redeemed and restored when “the salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD (Psalm 37:39) and the “righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever” (vs.29).
Prayer
Spend some time today praying for people and places in the world where the injustice of the wicked is destroying the lives of many. Ask God to bring healing and hope to those areas. Thank Him for the hope that we have in knowing that injustice will one day be destroyed.
Comments