Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Psalms 43-45, 49, 84-85, 87.
There are some who seem to think that God is nothing but a large candy machine in the sky, and if we approach him, and merely pull the handles of his love, then we can enjoy "our best life now".
However, the one who seriously desires God's heart will quickly discern that God in fact often leads us through the valley of the shadow of death.
Can we not look at the life of Christ and have some understanding of this?
So how are we to understand the trials of this life?
It seems to me that the serious student of the Bible will learn that God is absolutely sovereign. Nothing happens, absolutely nothing, without his ordaining.
This understanding comes with no small amount of wrestling. This understanding means that God created, and ordained Hitler. Don't believe me? Then simply read the book of Judges.
Armed with this understanding, and occasionally finding ourselves under the thumb of God, we can then apply the lessons learned from Psalm 43:
- why have You rejected me God? (what lesson do You desire that I learn?)
- send me Your light and truth.
- let Your light and truth bring me more understanding of You and Your ways so that I might enjoy, and praise You even more.
- Oh my soul, why are you now cast down? With this new light and truth we now have hope. Hope in God, our salvation and our God.
