When Life Looks Backwards
Well, now, friend, the sun is stretchin’ its big ol’ arms across the sky, and the Lord is whisperin, ‘Come on now, I got real good plans for you today.’ So, come on up here on this here front porch an’ scoot up a sturdy chair that sits flatter than a pancake on a hot griddle ‘cause Psalm 73 starts out ‘bout like watchin’ a chipmunk try to organize a stampede of turkeys. Everything sho’-nuff’ looks backwards. Psalm 73:12 says the ungodly seem “always at ease” and keep getting’ richer, and sometimes it gits to feelin’ like the wicked are just ridin’ ‘round in shiny wagons while the rest of us are ploddin’ along like a lil’ ol’ box turtle tryin’ to outrun a big gust of wind. It can make your eyebrows start to jumpin’ higher than a lil’ ol’ startled jackrabbit. But if we are real honest, we’ve all had moments where life just don’t seem to add up, and our hearts start askin’ questions our heads just can’t seem to find answers for.
Asaph sho’-nuff’ knew that there feelin’ way down deep in his bones. He said that his feet “almost stumbled” in Psalm 73:2. He was lookin’ ‘round at folks struttin’ like some overfed peacocks, feathers glistenin’, while he felt more like a lil’ ol’ barn swallow tryin’ to build a nest in a real gusty windstorm. But then everything went an’ changed for him. He went an’ stepped on into the sanctuary of God, and suddenly the big ol’ heavy fog lifted like morning mist off a quiet pond. Psalm 73:17 says that’s where he finally understood the end of the wicked. Sometimes clarity don’t come from figurin’ things out. It comes from gettin’ close enough to God to see things from His side o’ the fence.
And right there, friend, is where Psalm 73:28 gits to settlin’ in like a wise ol’ hoot owl sittin’ on a fence post. Asaph realized that “it is good for me to draw near to God.” That there was the moment the whole world got straightened out. Not when the wicked stopped prosperin’. Not when life got easier. But when he drew near to God. When he stopped an’ put his trust in the Lord God, everything lined up cleaner than a freshly swept front porch. That there’s the kind o’ truth that steadies a person, even when the rest o’ the world is wobblin’ like a wagon with one square wheel.
Job had the same kind o’ revelation in Job 42:1-6. Once he encountered God, he stopped tryin’ to measure fairness with his own crooked ruler. When you get close to God, the scales of justice stop lookin’ lopsided. He sees every lil’ ol’ uninvited fox in the henhouse and every sly lil’ ol’ critter slippin through the woods. And He handles ‘em all in His divine best time. That’s why drawin’ near to Him ain’t just for comfort. Why, it’s godly wisdom.
So, don’t be lettin’ the carefree lives of the ungodly git to twistin’ your thoughts into a big ol’ knot. Psalm 73:25 reminds us that God Himself is our portion. A humble believer in a cottage is a whole lot richer than the wicked sittin’ up in a palace ‘cause real peace beats gold every single time. Don’t you know, friend, that no amount o’ riches can ever buy lasting peace, joy, an’ happiness? Only God can anchor a heart that deep.
Father, help me draw near to You when life feels real unfair. Remind me that Your divine justice is perfect and Your divine presence is my precious treasure. Teach me to trust You more deeply and rest in Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now, land sakes, friend, as you head on down the trail, be keepin’ mind that God guides you straighter than a busy huntin’ coonhound sniffin’ out a fresh scent to be followin’ ‘cause He’s the One Who sees the whole, big forest with all the trees. He knows every single path, every single twist, every single lil’ ol’ critter, and every single endin’. Keep right on drawin near to Him, keep right on trustin Him, and keep right on rememberin that the richest place you can ever be standin’ is right up beside your Shepherd.
With joy,
Gwen
