Joy Amid the World's Brokenness (Psalm 13 Devotional)
I have trusted in Thy loving kindness. My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me. – Psalm 13:5
In The Good Life, Cicero wrote that gratitude was not only the greatest of all virtues, but also the parent of them all. And though that statement might not be ultimately or absolutely true, there is a certain amount of truth to it. The Apostle Paul encouraged us to rejoice in all things. We are always to have the fruit of joy and have a thankful heart.
But what does that really mean? Is Paul advocating a pie-in-the-sky type of mindset that denies the existence of bad things in our lives or the world? Does it refuse to see difficulties, challenges, circumstances that range from uncomfortable to outright evil? No, certainly not. God does not turn a blind eye to those things, and neither should we. Throughout the Psalms we see the Psalmist recognizing and labeling evil for being evil. It is not a mindset of denial or putting our heads in the sand. Rather it is the state of heart that sees from a different perspective and paradigm.
Dr. Henry Cloud, in his book Changes That Heal, talks about a crucial ability we must possess if we are to be healthy, well-rounded people. We must have the ability to both recognize the existence of good and evil and be able to separate them. We must be able to understand that we are in a broken world, and that we ourselves are broken, but we were also created in the image of God, and this world was created by Him and was good.
Our team at the church frequently takes mission trips to Haiti. One of the leaders said how shocked he was to see the brokenness there. The poverty, disease, corruption, and beautiful beaches covered in garbage. But as the Orchard Hill team worked with Haitian kids through the week, they also saw in them the handiwork of God. Kids loved by God and created with a purpose. Kids that Christ thought so worthy of love that He was willing to go to the cross for them.
So, how do we rejoice in the midst of the brokenness of this world?
First, we must recognize that God is not finished with this world. This world is broken, but God has not yet completed His redemptive plan. He is the God Who will restore this broken world to beautiful perfection once again.
Secondly, we must remember that God loves us and is for us. He is not yet finished with any one of us either. God has an ongoing purpose and plan for you and me. As with the world, He will one day restore us to the fullness of all He meant us to be. But, in the meantime we can trust that He will work all things for our good.
So, in all things we CAN rejoice, we CAN have gratitude, we CAN have joy. Though we still experience pain, we can trust that God will bring healing. Though we still experience brokenness in our own lives, God is not yet finished with us. The last page is not yet turned, but the end of the book is the ultimate happy ending. That’s not pie-in-the-sky hope. We trust that our Heavenly Father, whose throne is above all things, has all things under His control. He is sovereign over all creation and He loves us more than we may ever know.
Questions for Thought:
How can we rejoice during difficult situations we’re in?
When we see the brokenness of the world, how can we still rejoice?
How is trust in God related to our rejoicing?
