- By Rev. Chandran J. Lite
- Posted 08/06/2017
On January 17,2004, a 66 ton whale died and was beached on the south western coast of Taiwan, near the city of Tainan. Two weeks later, on January 29, authorities decided to truck the dead whale to a laboratory where they could do an autopsy. It took 50 laborers and three lifting cranes, 13 hours to hoist the 56 foot behemoth onto flatbed trailer truck. People gathered in great numbers to watch the carcass of a whale being driven through the streets. Suddenly, as people were watching on, the whale exploded. The inner conditions of the dead whale ,combined with the bumps in the road caused an eruption. Cars, people and local shops were splattered with the stinking entails of the whale.
Isn't that just like life sometimes? As you go about your business, suddenly without warning a whale explodes. Sometimes things happen in life when we least expect and when we are least prepared. We are caught unaware. We are at our wit's end. We are crushed, confused; and totally left cut-off from the world.
How do you take it when life does not treat you well, when your theology clashes with reality?
Psalm 73 was written by Asaph, one of the three directors who worked under King David. He was one of the worship leaders in the Old Testament.
In verse 1, "God is indeed good to Israel to the pure in heart". It is a covenant promise of God to Israel. The old Testament teaches, if you obey the commandments of God, you will be blessed. If you disobey the commandments of God, you will be cursed ! But what Asaph found was quite reverse.
Verse 2 begins with a 'But', he says, "But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray". That is, he is saying, what I see and what I believe in the world are two different realities. V3, he laments, "For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked". He can't understand how the wrecked and the God-less, be arrogant, wicked, and yet, be prosperous?
Have you gone through such experience in your life ? A man who has the least respect for God, but being well-respected, even elevated to the level of gods and goddesses in the world? They are filthy rich, the world falls flat before them. Do you think all your sincere love and single-hearted devotion to God, is not well rewarded, even, you feel you are being ignored by God ! Do not worry. Asaph is yet to come to the conclusion of the Psalm. We'll wait.
Yours in His service,
Servant Chandran Lite