Psalm 17

Read Psalm 17 first here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+17&version=NIV

Three verses stand out to me so I’m going to focus on them today:

Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.

I pray this prayer often. I just want to see God’s hand more. Yet every day a sunrise and a sunset. I’ve spent more time watching them over the last couple months in quarantine than I ever have. It’s the reward you get from stopping working on your computer just look up! God’s putting on a show, but it’s quiet and easy to miss. I think that’s the issue God’s goodness is all around us so it’s easy to forget. Like a fish forgets how important water is until it’s gone or how we feel about air or breathing we never think about it or give thanks for it, but it’s vitally necessary!

¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world whose reward is in this life.

Too often I look for rewards that only exist in this life. Money and marriage are on the top of my list. Though I’m not married I’ve wasted a lot of my last decade in relationships that went no where. I’ve wasted time trying to figure out how to save my church from going broke, how to play the stock market best, but God seems to make things work.

There are times at work I wonder if I’m making a difference. I seem to make youth groups smaller. I would say I make them tighter and more like a family but not typically larger. I’m typically sharing God’s word did lead to something happening, but I do have a track record of making 20 something year old athiests, but I still have hope God will turn many of them around. This year I had my first teenage baptism. I have youth with deep faith who still reference not just youth trips but youth Bible studies from decades ago. And only if one kid is changed that should be enough for me yet I still wish I was more effective. But the reward isn’t here. The reward is in the next life and many of those things I can’t see until the next year.

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

The psalm ends in this glorious knowledge that we will see God’s face. Now we see dimly but some day we will see face to face. I’ve had moments where I’ve come close to seeing God’s glory. I’ve seen him show up in crazy ways yet there will be a point where his glory will be so much greater. The same is true for you. There is hope- there is always hope!