READ: Catch-up Day / Psalm 75
Verse
chosen for meditation: Psalm 75:2-3
2 “At the set time that
I appoint
I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth
totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
REFLECT
These
verses are spoken from the perspective of God himself, and in some ways, may be
regarded as His answer to the questions and cries in Psalm 74. In the face of adversity and destruction, the psalmist was demanding action from God in Psalm
74. These pleas probably came with an urgency, like many of our human appeals,
with hopes of immediate action from God.
Here,
God assures and reminds us of several things. First, is that He will judge, and
it will be done uprightly. Action will occur in a way that brings justice to the
wicked, restoring peace and order to the righteous and faithful. We would not
have it any other way and know that God is the best judge. If judgement were left
to us, we would probably lash out at anything that displeases us. God also reminds
that though He will judge, He will do so in His own time. Sometimes, we see God
let evil go unchecked for a rather long time, and we do not understand why, yet
He has appointed a proper time when the evil would be brought down, when things
fall into place at the right moment for His perfect will.
RELATE
Waiting
on God to do His thing can be hard and frustrating, amid suffering. Some may be
praying for the conversion of a loved one for many years. Some pleading for
healing of family down with diseases. Then there are those like the psalmist,
suffering at the hands of evil enemies who run scot-free, gloating and
celebrating their victories. What about those in wars like in Ukraine? When
will God act? How long must we wait?
Waiting
gets even more difficult these days. Services strive to minimise lag time. Food
deliveries arrive at our doorstep within the half-hour. Retails offer same-day
deliveries. When in doubt, answers could be found on the net at the click of a
button. We absorb content at a rate like never before, on the go. There’s just
so little time to pause. It runs counter-intuitive and counter-cultural to be
still and wait.
When
the wait becomes excruciating, I’m reminded of Paul’s famous lines: “I can do
all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). This is one of
the most misquoted verses, where some think they could do anything, even the
seemingly impossible. However, when Paul wrote this while in prison, in the
context of his suffering, he does not mean he could do anything to alleviate the
suffering. This verse is really about contentment, clarified in Philippians 4:11-12. “All things” here then refers to any and every circumstance. In any
situation, Paul was able to find contentment, strength, and victory in Christ.
I’ve
been in several situations in life where I was targeted by enemies, with evil
acts seeking to trample me, and in those times, I was indeed trampled. It was
so tempting for me to play judge but thankfully, God preserved me in those
times. Though in pain, I decided to let God be the judge of those evil. In some
of those times, I was lucky to have vindication, albeit after many years. In
other times, not really but it is ok! As I understand more what Paul’s words
mean, I started to feel the same sense of peace Paul felt. That peace is
predominantly centered on the character and power of our unfailing God. A righteous
judge, with perfect timing (though we don’t see it through our rushed lives),
with powerful judgements that keep steady any God-established pillars even when
world orders are dissolved (v3). Today’s meditation verses end with “Selah”,
which is a prompter for us to pause and contemplate those verses. Indeed, the
justness, the timing and the power of God’s judgements deserve our deep
consideration.
REST
Dear God. May I find peace and contentment, even in
my suffering. Instil in me a faith that will not waver under trials and tribulations,
as I wait for the day you pass your judgement and restore order. Amen.
Chris
Chong
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