12/10/2008
in the
presence of my enemies;
You anoint
my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Only
goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the
days of my life,
and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD
as long as
I live.
===
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a book several years ago trying to explain the suffering in our world. In his book, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”, he concludes that ultimately God is not in control of all events, that He cannot intervene on our behalf, and neither will He answer any prayer for healing or protection. His conclusions are based on human logic and understanding. You see, Kushner concludes that even God cannot alter the laws of physics to intervene for us. It would seem logical, if no human can change the laws of physics, than nobody – including God – can.
Indeed, our world is full of suffering and hurt. We do not know why children die of leukemia. We do not know why innocent people are struck down by some crazed gunman. We are ill-equipped to explain why it rarely rains in the Sudan and thousands starve to death every day.
But, this I do know. I see an incomplete picture. And, my view of the universe is highly biased by my life experiences and what I believe. Although I may have full faith in God, there are still aspects about His nature that I am completely ignorant. For Kushner, or me, or anyone to claim to understand the plan of God, or to expound on the limitations of God is grossly arrogant.
God spoke to Isaiah:
so My ways
are higher than your ways,
and My
thoughts than your thoughts.”
So when we look at passages like the 23rd Psalm, what can we conclude? We know the world is full of suffering, and to some degree, we know that the mental picture given above is not literal. What then, should we conclude?
Jesus said that he came to give life *in abundance*. For those of us who have come to accept Him as Lord and Savior, we know that what we have gained is not a life of inexplicable pleasure, but rather, a life of peace, a life of joy, and a life of expectancy to be in His presence. This is why it says that a table is set for us *in the midst* of our enemies. Our troubles will not go away magically. There will still be scoffers to our faith. There will still be illness and death. There will still be crazed maniacs who ruthlessly kill those we love.
Yet the “table set before us” is the peace of knowing that God is in control, and we don’t have to be. When we try to retain control, we ultimately lose it. When we give up control, we find the peace in the midst of our troubles.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2008 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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