August 15, 2019
Psalm 82
by Zach Hash
Clergy of Pisgah / Pleasant Hill Tazewell (Tazewell, VA)
Clinch Mountain District
“God takes his stand in the divine council; he gives judgment among the gods: “How long will you judge unjustly by granting favor to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the lowly and the orphan; maintain the right of the poor and the destitute! Rescue the lowly and the needy. Deliver them from the power of the wicked! They don’t know; they don’t understand; they wander around in the dark. All the earth’s foundations shake. I hereby declare, “You are gods, children of the Most High—all of you! But you will die like mortals; you will fall down like any prince.” Rise up, God! Judge the earth because you hold all nations in your possession!” - Psalm 82
As I sit in my office preparing to write this devotion, I am confronted with the latest scenes of great evil to affect our country. As I watch the stories unfold before me of the mass shootings that have taken place over night in El Paso, Texas as well as Dayton, Ohio, I find myself asking a common question, “Why does God allow bad things to happen.”
Too often I think we allow ourselves to become so overwhelmed and troubled about the things that go on in this world and especially the things happening in our government. It seems almost daily that we hear of a new scandal regarding a Politician or new laws that are put in place that just don’t seem right, and we become worried and upset. In times like this it is easy to be filled with anger, but we must understand and remember that God is in control. While we don’t understand why God allows certain things to happen, we must trust that he has a plan and that he knows what is best.
So, what can we do? We can pray! It is crucial that each of us are praying for our country. We can and we should be lifting up prayers for each person that holds an office in all levels of government including those we agree with and those that we may not agree with. It’s important to note here that we should be praying for God’s will to be done, not our will.
In addition to praying, it’s important that we do what is right and just. We should be people of light and hope showing compassion and love to our neighbors. We should be lending a helping hand to those that are in need – extending mercy instead of condemnation. Like the old gospel song says, we should “brighten the corner where we are.” God is in control!
Gracious and loving God, we are thankful that you are in control. When we look around us and we see things that we don’t understand – things that upset us, comfort us with the peace that surpasses all understanding. Today, I lift up our leaders and ask that you grant them the wisdom to look to you for guidance. God, use me as an instrument to bring peace into my community and my world. I ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ! Amen.