Friday, August 4, 2017

Keeping Consistent (Friday Devotional)


“The Lord is just in all His ways, and kind in all His doings. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”

- Psalm 145:17-18

Few things set people on edge as much as waiting for a table at a restaurant. Every wristwatch is checked on a minute by minute basis. Every conversation is punctuated by the question “How long has it been now?” And when the hostess walks to the front of the crowd, menus in hand, everyone sits up straight, hoping their moment has finally arrived—until some lucky family hears their name and follows her, prompting everyone else to let out a collective sigh of frustration.

What makes the wait at least slightly more tolerable is the knowledge that everybody else has to wait exactly like you. Sure, the wait feels interminable; sure, you’re ready to eat—but at least it’s an equitable system. Everybody must wait their turn, and nobody gets to jump the line.

That’s probably why things get so hostile when a V.I.P. walks through the door and is ushered right to their table, bypassing the line completely. Appalled at what they’ve witnessed, everyone who’s been waiting with a thin veneer of patience angrily starts demanding answers of the hostess: “Why do they get to jump the line? Don’t you know how long we’ve all been here?” Waiting was fine so long as the rules were fair. But no one likes being the victim of inconsistency.

For that reason, there is great comfort in the words of Psalm 145: “the Lord is just in all His ways, and kind in all His doings. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” There is no pecking order in God’s economy, no list of spiritual haves and have-nots, no V.I.P.s who get to jump the line of grace and receive the blessings of heaven. The justice and mercy of God are available to all who call upon His name, regardless of their race, gender, upbringing, zip code, or economic status.

In a world where sometimes it seems the only thing that’s guaranteed is that there are no guarantees, God is an eternal fount of power, compassion, justice, and grace. When people, systems, and organizations fail to keep their promises, He remains faithful. So even when your trust in others fails, may you never hesitate to turn to the God who holds all things together—He’ll never skip over you.

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