I remember when I was in elementary school and how frequently there were certain kids in our class who would become loud. These students were often referred to as "the troublemakers". Our teacher decided on a very predictable punishment – no recess for everyone.
Instead of getting to go outside to run and play, our teacher kept us ALL in the classroom, sitting at our desks. Mind you, it wasn't just the "troublemakers" or those who were fighting - EVERYONE was punished!
The loud and quiet alike, the rowdy and the calm. the students who completed every homework assignment and those who never completed an assignment - we were all punished together.
Perhaps you had a mom and dad who asked you as a kid in the household to do something very important and as usual things got out of control and it was not done. So everyone was punished. No desserts. Go to bed early. No recreation activity, etc. No going to grandma’s house. Everyone was punished.
At this point, I would like you to stop reading at this post… and take a moment to open your Bibles and read Number chapter 14. Yes, the entire chapter! In this portion of scripture, you will read about: rebellion, Joshua and Caleb, God’s anger, intercession, punishment, death of the ten spies, and how Israel was defeated.
Now that you have read Number 14....you may almost feel as though you were back in elementary school. What do I mean by that? As you read that chapter think about "all" the children of Israel going back to the wilderness for 40 years rather than moving forward into Canaan, the Promised Land. Just think about Caleb and Joshua and their wives and children- they had been on God's team. They had valiantly stood up for the
Creator of the universe. They had claimed God's promises and even encouraged all the desert wanderers to trust God when they said, "Let us go forward". But as seen in this scripture EVERYONE was punished.
You may ask: What did Caleb and Joshua get in return for their faithfulness? Forty more years in the
wilderness!! I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem fair to me that the good ones getting hit with the consequences of the evil, rebellious ones. It didn't seem right at that time and it doesn't seem right today.
Do you ever feel like that when you see the good people suffering because of the bad behavior of the evil ones?
We see it happening all over the world right now. It is right in our faces today: innocent blood is shed by vindictive, evil, mean people who believe they are god. The wicked seem to be living on easy street, abusing their power as they take advantage of those who are unable to defend themselves. Liars, abusers, people manipulating the word of God for their own advancements thinking they know better than everyone else.
The other night, I was watching a television program where a gentleman was discussing "usury," which he defined as the wealthy preying upon the poor by lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest. And while
this was not a religious discussion, he took great lengths to point out that the Bible and the Torah specifically forbid this abusive behavior. However, you'd never know "usury" was illegal if you listened to the evening news reports!
Everyday, you and I witness the morning sun shining down on the good and the evil. And when the soft drops of rain, fall from the heavens, they water the ground owned by the evil and good. If you're like me, you might say to yourself, "It isn't fair!" If this is your response, you aren't alone, for many years ago, the Psalmist David struggled with the fact that everything seemed to go so well for the wicked. If you think you're alone in feeling it isn't fair for the good to suffer with the evil, take a few minutes today to read Psalm 73 (yes, more bible reading...don't worry, it won't hurt!).
David had reached the end of his rope! In blunt honesty he told God he was envious of the wicked. Here are a few of the advantages David told God he had witnessed when he took a look around him and saw how life appeared to be humming along without a ripple for evil people: "Their strength is firm. They are not in trouble. They are not plagued like other men. Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than a heart could wish. They speak loftily." And then, as if to underscore the absolute absurdity of the situation, David said, "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches" (Psalm 73: 12, KJV). It's as if David is saying to God, "After giving you the description of people who have strength and no trouble and no problems and nothing to worry about and everything their hearts desire, did you think I was describing Your
children – Your sons and daughters, the 'obedient' ones? Well, I wasn't!” I want You to know, I was telling You about all the lousy, rotten, wickedly corrupt people who oppress Your children. These are the ones who say, 'God isn't watching us. God let's us get by with our abusive behavior!'"
David was so frustrated with the situation he went so far as to tell God, "Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain" (Psalm 73: 13 KJV.). David felt as though doing right had been worthless. What's the reason to be good if the good only suffer while the wicked prosper?
It's a depressing look at the way things happen on planet earth, that is until you and I do what David did at the end of the Psalm. In Psalm 73:17, we find David in God's sanctuary or as the Hebrew says, "Standing in God's chapel on holy ground." It was on holy ground before His heavenly Father that David saw the "end" of evil. And what he recognized was that God – his God – our God – was watching all along. Not only that, David found out, "Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73: 23-24). And then David adds one more critical point we should not overlook. "For, lo, they that are far from Thee shall perish" (Psalm 73: 27). Then David, who was trying to walk in God's path, could go to His Father in the Holy place, unlike the wicked who were "far from Thee."
As John Newton so eloquently wrote it "God's people have no assurances that the dark experiences of life will be held at bay (for them), much less that God will provide some sort of running commentary on the meaning of each day's allotment of confusion, boredom, pain, or achievement. It is not great matter where we are, provided we see that the Lord has placed us there, and that He is with us."
Matthew 5:45 says: that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
The question for each of us today is: do you believe that God is watching over us daily? Do you know that He cares for each of us? Yes, the sun shines on the good and the evil just as the rain falls on the good and
the evil. BUT…..Keep your focus on Jesus, He is the One who laid down His life for you. He is the One who will judge us, not men
Instead of getting to go outside to run and play, our teacher kept us ALL in the classroom, sitting at our desks. Mind you, it wasn't just the "troublemakers" or those who were fighting - EVERYONE was punished!
The loud and quiet alike, the rowdy and the calm. the students who completed every homework assignment and those who never completed an assignment - we were all punished together.
Perhaps you had a mom and dad who asked you as a kid in the household to do something very important and as usual things got out of control and it was not done. So everyone was punished. No desserts. Go to bed early. No recreation activity, etc. No going to grandma’s house. Everyone was punished.
At this point, I would like you to stop reading at this post… and take a moment to open your Bibles and read Number chapter 14. Yes, the entire chapter! In this portion of scripture, you will read about: rebellion, Joshua and Caleb, God’s anger, intercession, punishment, death of the ten spies, and how Israel was defeated.
Now that you have read Number 14....you may almost feel as though you were back in elementary school. What do I mean by that? As you read that chapter think about "all" the children of Israel going back to the wilderness for 40 years rather than moving forward into Canaan, the Promised Land. Just think about Caleb and Joshua and their wives and children- they had been on God's team. They had valiantly stood up for the
Creator of the universe. They had claimed God's promises and even encouraged all the desert wanderers to trust God when they said, "Let us go forward". But as seen in this scripture EVERYONE was punished.
You may ask: What did Caleb and Joshua get in return for their faithfulness? Forty more years in the
wilderness!! I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem fair to me that the good ones getting hit with the consequences of the evil, rebellious ones. It didn't seem right at that time and it doesn't seem right today.
Do you ever feel like that when you see the good people suffering because of the bad behavior of the evil ones?
We see it happening all over the world right now. It is right in our faces today: innocent blood is shed by vindictive, evil, mean people who believe they are god. The wicked seem to be living on easy street, abusing their power as they take advantage of those who are unable to defend themselves. Liars, abusers, people manipulating the word of God for their own advancements thinking they know better than everyone else.
The other night, I was watching a television program where a gentleman was discussing "usury," which he defined as the wealthy preying upon the poor by lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest. And while
this was not a religious discussion, he took great lengths to point out that the Bible and the Torah specifically forbid this abusive behavior. However, you'd never know "usury" was illegal if you listened to the evening news reports!
Everyday, you and I witness the morning sun shining down on the good and the evil. And when the soft drops of rain, fall from the heavens, they water the ground owned by the evil and good. If you're like me, you might say to yourself, "It isn't fair!" If this is your response, you aren't alone, for many years ago, the Psalmist David struggled with the fact that everything seemed to go so well for the wicked. If you think you're alone in feeling it isn't fair for the good to suffer with the evil, take a few minutes today to read Psalm 73 (yes, more bible reading...don't worry, it won't hurt!).
David had reached the end of his rope! In blunt honesty he told God he was envious of the wicked. Here are a few of the advantages David told God he had witnessed when he took a look around him and saw how life appeared to be humming along without a ripple for evil people: "Their strength is firm. They are not in trouble. They are not plagued like other men. Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than a heart could wish. They speak loftily." And then, as if to underscore the absolute absurdity of the situation, David said, "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches" (Psalm 73: 12, KJV). It's as if David is saying to God, "After giving you the description of people who have strength and no trouble and no problems and nothing to worry about and everything their hearts desire, did you think I was describing Your
children – Your sons and daughters, the 'obedient' ones? Well, I wasn't!” I want You to know, I was telling You about all the lousy, rotten, wickedly corrupt people who oppress Your children. These are the ones who say, 'God isn't watching us. God let's us get by with our abusive behavior!'"
David was so frustrated with the situation he went so far as to tell God, "Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain" (Psalm 73: 13 KJV.). David felt as though doing right had been worthless. What's the reason to be good if the good only suffer while the wicked prosper?
It's a depressing look at the way things happen on planet earth, that is until you and I do what David did at the end of the Psalm. In Psalm 73:17, we find David in God's sanctuary or as the Hebrew says, "Standing in God's chapel on holy ground." It was on holy ground before His heavenly Father that David saw the "end" of evil. And what he recognized was that God – his God – our God – was watching all along. Not only that, David found out, "Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73: 23-24). And then David adds one more critical point we should not overlook. "For, lo, they that are far from Thee shall perish" (Psalm 73: 27). Then David, who was trying to walk in God's path, could go to His Father in the Holy place, unlike the wicked who were "far from Thee."
As John Newton so eloquently wrote it "God's people have no assurances that the dark experiences of life will be held at bay (for them), much less that God will provide some sort of running commentary on the meaning of each day's allotment of confusion, boredom, pain, or achievement. It is not great matter where we are, provided we see that the Lord has placed us there, and that He is with us."
Matthew 5:45 says: that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
The question for each of us today is: do you believe that God is watching over us daily? Do you know that He cares for each of us? Yes, the sun shines on the good and the evil just as the rain falls on the good and
the evil. BUT…..Keep your focus on Jesus, He is the One who laid down His life for you. He is the One who will judge us, not men
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