TRUST GOD’S WISDOM –

Not only did the pilgrims who arrived in the Holy City feel blessed and fortunate to celebrate and worship their One True God, but they also acknowledged that for many of them this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They knew that when it was all over they faced a long trip back home; back to where God’s presence was seemingly missing and people lived their lives as though He didn’t exist. They could wish for nothing more glorious than for the Lord to reach down while they were worshiping, and carry them off into His presence forever. So the compilers of the Psalter chose this psalm of David for their hymn book so the pilgrims could use David’s words to express what he felt many times when trouble surrounded him and he longed for God’s rescue into His eternal abode.

“O LORD Eternal, why do You bother with or care about ordinary human beings? Mankind’s lifespan is like one short breath or flickering shadow. O LORD Eternal, when You descend from heaven let the mountains smolder when Your feet touch them. Let Your descent be accompanied with a blaze of glory, causing sinners to run and hide. Then use Your drawing power and force them to face You. At the same time, reach down to snatch me away; yes, pluck me out of the rising flood of troubles. Then, O One True God, I will sing a new song to You; yes, while I play my ten-stringed harp I will sing hymns to You; to the One who delivers His anointed; who will snatch His servant away from impending disaster. So again I ask You, snatch me away from unbelievers who don’t want to acknowledge the truth, and who say one thing but mean another. So let all those who believe Him count their blessings; yes, count your blessings if you’re one of those who believe that the One True God is the LORD Eternal.” Psalm 144:3-11, 15

Reflection: Years ago in a small town a 10 year old lad climbed onto a stool at a local ice cream shop and asked the waitress, “How much does an ice cream sundae cost?” “Fifty cents,” the waitress quickly replied. The boy pulled out a handful of change from his pocket and slowly started counting. The waitress became impatient because she had other customers waiting to be served. After finishing his count, the young tot asked, “How much is a bowl of plain ice cream?” The waitress responded irritably, “Thirty-five cents!” Again the boy counted and finally said softly, “May I have a bowl of plain ice cream, please?” When the waitress returned later to clear the bowl, she picked it up and got a lump in her throat. The boy had left two nickels and five pennies underneath it. She realized then, that he had exactly the right amount of money to buy the sundae, but he gave it up in order to leave her a tip. Perhaps David had a similar encounter with God. The Almighty always uses His divine knowledge and intellect to deal with man’s needs and problems. Sometimes we don’t understand why His actions do not fit conventional wisdom. We even question Him, and can’t figure out why He doesn’t see things the way we do. But David realized that God knew things he didn’t know. So he simply decided to trust God’s wisdom and accept His input. Both David and that little boy offer us examples of giving God credit for knowing what’s best. So the next time you want answers from God for some dilemma, don’t be startled if He does it in a way that ends up leaving you an extra blessing as a surprise.