What Is Your Take Away?

The psalmist of Psalm 89 starts out on a high. Verse 1 says "I will sing of the Lord ’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness."

However, the psalm takes a dramatic turn. "Remember how short my life is, how empty and futile this human existence! No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave. Interlude Lord, where is your unfailing love? You promised it to David with a faithful pledge." (verses 47-49)

Ironically, he praised God's faithfulness and later seems to question it. What made him radically change his tune? Despite the reason, he comes full circle. The last verse says, "Praise the Lord forever! Amen and amen!" (verse 52)

Oftentimes, we ask God "Why?" We try to find a cause for the chaos. This psalmist got it right. We can spend time asking why's, but it's important we come full circle. God is to be praised. My unresolved questions, have no bearing on God's character.

I recently watched a Hallmark movie series. The story was set around the Californian gold rush. In the first movie a young mysterious stranger comes into town. He ends up helping a young woman fix up her farm. To no ones surprise, they fall in love. She helps restore his faith in God and it ends with their wedding. In the second movie, the wife contracts Scarlett fever. She dies, leaving her husband and young daughter devastated. To top all this off, there's been a drought and he's in danger of losing his land.

The most memorable scene comes when this now angry and embittered widow is taken to a hill top by his father. He asks him to tell him what he sees. The young widow can only see barren land and can't understand why God "has done all this to him". The father doesn't address the why's. Instead he assures him that the promise God gives us is His presence. He will be right beside us at the hilltop and in the valleys. Let me connect back to psalm 89.

God is the same in verse 1 as He is in verse 52 and everything in between. He doesn't change but our attitude must. We decide to praise Him because He deserves it.