Prospering in Pandemonium
Prospering in Pandemonium || Day 2
Psalm 73:1-17 NKJV
Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.
Zechariah 9:9-12 NKJV
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’ “As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you.”
Here vs. There
What if I told you God is preparing you for what comes next? What if I told you this current chaos-filled season has an immensely important purpose?
Our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator doesn’t let things happen by accident. He knows each of His children and knows what is coming. So, why aren’t we trusting in Him to take us from here to there? Why are we so caught up in the moment that we refuse to believe in the multitude of promises He makes to His children throughout His Word?
In Zechariah 9:11, Zechariah refers to the people of Zion as “prisoners who have hope.” This speaks to the fact that no matter what situation they may currently be in, they have something powerful that people who pursue their own worldly pleasures don’t have: hope. He also goes on to say they will have twice as much as they did before. Another testament to God’s desire for His children to prosper. This prosperity, however, will not always be money, honor, or possessions on the earth.
In Psalm 73 (a psalm by Asaph), he speaks on his view of the people of the world that prosper. He seems perplexed by how sinful individuals can seemingly live in glory, in riches, and in pleasure. He continues up until verse 17. The true treasure, the true reward God is preparing us for is to be present in His sanctuary – in His presence. We must be willing to submit to the Lord and listen to Him in the present, so we can be prepared for the future He has in store for us.
In 1 Kings 18:1-4, we see this principle displayed perfectly. Amidst the famine, God told Elijah to go to Ahab, and He would send rain on the land. God clearly could make the rain fall without Elijah doing this, but He wanted Elijah’s obedience. He wanted Elijah to go from here to there to receive the blessing.
We too must obey God’s commands in these chaos-filled times. We must show Him our obedience and our willingness to follow and trust in Him no matter what is going on around us. He wants to take us from here to there – it is our responsibility to follow Him
Further reading: 1 Kings 18:1-4