Friday, July 8: July 8: Psalms 47-49, 84, 85, 97 by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Psalms 47-49, 84, 85, 97

A few things stood out from today's reading:

48:4-6 For behold, the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish as of a woman in labor.

One would imagine that it would take A LOT to impress a KINGS. Not that I know any kings personally ;) but I would imagine that kings have riches, power and authority, and most things of earthly importance. However, this verse says that the assembled kings were "astounded" and "they were in panic". No amount of riches, power and authority, or anything else is worth anything compared to God. Everything pales in comparison and one day everyone -even those with all their earthly power- will also tremble at their unworthiness in the face of Christ.

48: 13b- 14 that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever.

I know each generation complains about the previous one thinking about how "bad" things are with "young people these days". I worry about my kids and my grandkids growing up in such a sinful world where Christianity is increasingly under attack. I worry about them facing a world where there are no wrong behaviours and "if it feels good then do it" attitudes abounding everywhere. I worry about the normalcy they will grow up in where God's specific plans for each gender (male and female) as complimentary partners are dismissed and instead individuals are replaced as non-gender  (even removing gender from driver's licenses?!) and celebrated as progressive and trailblazing. Noisy movements to support abortion and euthanasia are in the forefront of many news stories and pop culture normalizes it. Our kids are immersed in this reality. It's scary. However, we can take comfort that God is the beginning and the end. We can teach the next generation that God is our guide and that He is eternal. He does not change even when the society we live in does change.

10 49: 10-12 For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,[c]
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.

We all die. Rich people die. Poor people die. Old people die. Even sometimes young people die. All the money and power does't stop the inevitable. Our earthly possessions, everything we've worked for, can't stop our deaths from happening. We become as worthless as a dead animal even despite all we've managed to accumulate on earth. It is sometimes hard to not get caught up in building up treasures because we do like our stuff but let us not let it get in the way of lasting treasures like building the kingdom of God and sharing last gifts of love and time with others.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Psalm 1-2, 10, 33, 66