Your Lot

Psalm 17:14-15 From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. 15 As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake. (NASB)

Yesterday at a stoplight, I came upon the second man in so many days struggling in this life. I never question their lot, or their motives, and what they do with my gift, it is between them and the Lord Jesus. I always tell them the money is in the name of Jesus Christ, and I tell them to honor it to him. This guy was really struggling, you could tell it was real, and then God stepped in and I became just a mouthpiece for him. You could see it in his eyes as the Lord encouraged him to live for the next life, no matter how tough this one was, the next one will be better. I don’t recall (a good thing) all that was said, but I could see the blessing before me, more than, and not really the physical monetary gift. I left him with a Merry Christmas as the light turned green, and I was on cloud nine as I knew God had used someone as useless as me, to encourage someone he loved like him, and me, and you.

This morning as I read Psalm 17, you see the lot of David, and how some prosper, and others struggle in life sometimes. I am always encouraged to dig deeper when translations struggle with interpretations of the text, it makes you dig deeper into God’s Word and rely on God more for understanding. The simplicity of the division of the text lies before me; those who live for this world and all it can give, and those who patiently wait on all that comes in eternity. David’s life was a roller coaster, but through all of it, David loved God with all of his heart, through all of his failures, David loved God. Acts 13:22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ God knows your heart; God assigns your lot in this life, and has predestined your lot for eternity. God always gets his plan, he is all knowing, all controlling, and with it all has combined a lot of free-will by his design, in a complexity that our limited minds cannot begin to comprehend. God knows your heart, and all that lie behind any ruse, any struggle, and truth you may proclaim. Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

When we begin to grasp the meaning of eternal, the life after this one, the problems of this life become much smaller. When we begin to grasp their are no political saviors, not one in history has not been ordained by God (not our election but his), we begin to understand Who truly rules. The problems we face in life, we begin to grasp He has a purpose for them, likely sanctification through them, and we can use them to draw glory to Him as a result. The fear of death leaves us, for we realize our immortality lies in paradise. What in this world can effect the outcome of the next? Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Your lot in this life is ordained by God; live it as such understood, and point others to Jesus as a result of that knowledge. “It all gets better on the other side for those that know Jesus.”