Inspired by . . . rain
He makes His sun rise on people whether they are good or evil.
He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust. Matt 5:45
Do you find this to be a hard truth to accept?
I do at times.
In our human minds we have determined that if we do good we should be rewarded.
But what is good?
If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that!
Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that!
That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matt 5:46-48
God's ways are not our ways, and some of His ways are hard to understand. But we can understand through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
I believe having a right understanding helps us to attain JOY, and peace.
I want to share part of Psalm 73 with you today. It is a little long, but I hope it will speak to your heart.
We are not the first to struggle and question these things...
I've received no reward for keeping my life pure and washing my hands of any blame.
I'm plagued with problems all day long, and every morning my punishment begins again.
If I had said, "I will continue to talk like that," I would have betrayed God's people.
But when I tried to understand this, it was too difficult for me.
Only when I came into God's holy place did I finally understand what would happen to them.
You put them in slippery places and make them fall into ruin.
They are suddenly destroyed. They are completely swept away by terror!
As someone gets rid of a dream when he wakes up, so You, O Lord, get rid of the thought of them when You wake up.
When my heart was filled with bitterness and my mind was seized with envy,
I was stupid, and I did not understand. I was like a dumb animal in Your presence.
Yet, I am always with You. You hold on to my right hand.
With Your advice you guide me, and in the end You will take me to glory.
As long as I have You, I don't need anyone else in heaven or on earth.
My body and mind may waste away, but God remains the foundation of my life and my inheritance forever.
Without a doubt, those who are far from You will die. You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.
Being united with God is my highest good. I have made the Almighty LORD my refuge so that I may report everything that He has done.
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
June ... thanks for sharing this Psalm. And your works of art truly do inspire me on each and every visit. And maybe even more so on a very overcast day like today. I hope that your weekend shines, friend ...
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm enjoying God's creation, I often think of that passage in Matthew. Right now I am struggling with some life issues, so I started reading the book of Psalms. For the first 3 days I just concentrated on the 1st one and now I'm on the 5th. Just savoring passages that speak to me and letting them sink in has been comforting. I truly enjoyed your post AND brilliant photos. Keep clicking away, June. Sharing God's creation is so rewarding and I'm enjoying what you see. :)
ReplyDeleteHi June,
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from The Weekend Brew.
There is so much wisdom and knowledge in the Psalms. I love this, "I'm plagued with problems all day long, and every morning my punishment begins again." How very true this statement is! Our time here on earth is short and full of problems and obstacles. Joy is a choice and we need to make it every day because even in the very worst of times that we face, God still is so very good!
Great word, thanks.
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Love Psalm! It's easy to fall into the role of judge and jury... until we realize our need for mercy and grace. I'm with you, June. Great share!
ReplyDeleteI just love coming back to our posts multiple times lately. Always such comfort and encouragement found here, June. I've been thinking of you often and giving thanks to God for connecting us in this blogging world. Thank you for your love and kindness towards me. It's appreciated more than I can properly express. Much love. xoxo
ReplyDeleteSuch deep thoughts it that passage. "As long as I have You, I don't need anyone else in heaven or on earth." Wow.
ReplyDeleteJune, Lovely post. It is certainly true that some things just cannot be understood but I am thankful to know the Lord and trust him fully with both my joy AND my grief.
ReplyDeletesometimes it can be hard when it seems like the "unjust" are receiving blessings. It helps me to remember that it's not my business, but God's - and besides, "as long as I have God, I don't need anyone else..." Of course, I don't deserve his blessings either. :-) Thanks for sharing this Psalm and lovely photo!
ReplyDeleteHard to accept, yet at the same time comforting to know His blessings are shared with me, unjust.
ReplyDeleteSo powerful and encouraging. We may not understand things and things may seem to be contrary to how we think God should work, but His ways are higher and His purpose is Higher. Our spiritual eyes must be fixed on Him, trust Him to hold us and to know that there is joy before us...this world is not our home.
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love taking photos after the rain? Gorgeous! And I like the scriptures you paired them up with.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at Beauty Observed!