150 Day Challenge - Day 2

Psalm 2

Admittedly for me this Psalm was much harder to get into than the one from yesterday. I am undaunted, however, as I press on in this challenge. It is, after all, a challenge that is meant to stretch my mind and my heart, so this is a good thing.

In this Psalm we see a foretelling of the trouble that will befall Jesus when he comes. People will rise up against him, mock him, and eventually kill him. Only, the joke will be on the mockers, since in the end Jesus will prevail - God will never abandon the one he sent for a purpose.

The same can be said for us in our lives as Christians. God will never allow us to be conquered by our enemies. In the end, we are called to a purpose and if we are in tune with what we are asked to do, as Jesus was in his life, we will prevail.

It is easy to get discouraged when others try to tamp us down. I know that I get disheartened in my life when it seems that I am questioned at every turn as to my commitment to my faith. It is hard to go up against other people and stand firm in my faith. I sometimes question myself, which, I believe, is a good thing. We should always question ourselves and our motives and make sure they are pure.

One of the ways I test myself is by weighing my words and actions against the fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23, they are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If what I am doing conflicts with one of these attributes, then I am not in line with God's will and I need to check myself.

The one I probably have the most trouble with is patience. I can be very impatient at times (big shocker, right?). I want people to understand where I am coming from, so when faced with a conflict, I will feel very anxious when the other person doesn't seem to grasp what I am saying. This leads to frustration and ultimately, if I allow it, to some unkind words. Next thing I know, I can be displaying the opposite of every one of the fruit of the Spirit.

I know that I am not able to display enough self control on my own to represent God in the way that he wants me to, so my reliance needs to stay focused fully on him. This leads me directly back to the last verse of Psalm 2, which says "O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him!".

I find it so wonderful and comforting that whenever I encounter a problem, the answer is right there in front of my eyes. So, when I am attacked for my beliefs, I will seek refuse in my God. I will put my trust in him, knowing that He knows the solution, even if I don't. Then I wait for him. This is where I exercise that atrophied patience muscle of mine. It is not always easy, but it is always worth the effort, just to be still and wait.

© KDV 2009