Some Things Don’t Change

My dad Si Mathison taught my brother George and me that the Bible is so relevant today because people in that day thought so much like we do today. We tend to think that some people have so much that they don’t have any problems or issues. That’s a false thought. Everybody has issues.

Psalm 73 is a great example of this. The Psalmist bemoans the fact that he envied the crowd and couldn’t deal with how they prospered. He said that they lived painless lives, and their bodies were healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people. They wear pride like a jeweled necklace. He refers to them as fat cats who have everything that their hearts could ever wish for.

So much of our time, energy, and effort is devoted today to accumulating more things. There is a subconscious thought that if we have enough stuff, we won’t have issues.

The reality is that health is more important than wealth and our commitment to knowing God through His Son Jesus Christ, and living out His purpose in our lives is more important than anything.

The Psalmist begins to clear his thinking somewhat by the end of this Psalm. He realizes that the prosperous are not as happy as they appear to be. He then realizes that he has a lot for which to be grateful. In verse 21, he writes that he realized that his heart was bitter, that he was all torn up inside, and that he was foolish and ignorant. He acted like a senseless animal.

Then he begins to see his real strength in life. He acknowledged that he still belonged to God and that God was holding his right hand. God was guiding him with His wisdom and was leading him to a glorious destiny. He acknowledges that his health may fail, and his spirit may grow weak, but it is still God who is the strength of his heart and God will be his forever.

He concludes the Psalm by acknowledging how good it is to be near God, and he professes that he has made the Lord God his shelter and will tell everyone about the wonderful things that God is doing.

You can live being envious or jealous of what other people have. Nobody is living today who doesn’t have some kind of issues physically, mentally, or spiritually. The important thing is knowing where we can find the answer to our issues.

You and I have a choice—either complain about what we don’t have or focus on what we do have. What if each of us woke up every day and began the day by thanking God for the fact that we are alive. God doesn’t owe us anything, but He gives us everything. We are not to compare our lives to other people, but we need to know God’s purpose for our lives and carry that out.

The Bible is so relevant. The answer that the Psalmist found is still the answer to every dilemma that we face today. We need to be sure that we make the Lord God our savior and our shelter, and we are here to tell everyone about the wonderful things that God is doing.

My dad taught us not to say, “Have a great day.” That could mean we sit back and hope good things will happen. Instead, say, “Make it a great day.” That affirms that we must do our part to work with God to make it a great day.

Today is a great day to start making every day a great day—unless you have other plans!