Psalms 4:5-6

Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord. Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"

I have started reading through the Psalms, as much or as little a day as necessary to be able to internalize what the verses say and make it applicable to my own life. A couple of days ago, I ran across this verse, and God just really laid on my heart that it is something we need to consider as Christians. The first part of the verse says "Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord". A clear command. Then the second, which I believe is just a continuation of the same basic train of thought, says that many are asking "Who can show us any good?"

I don't think the person making the sacrifices and trusting in the Lord is the one asking "Who can show us any good?" And I certainly don't think it is saying offer sacrifices and trust so God will show you some good. I think the verse is saying that there area many people out there who are searching for something. They're looking for "good" in two ways that our sacrifices and trust can fulfill.

First, people are looking for someone...anyone...who will do something good for them, help them out of their troubles or perhaps a desperate situation that they are in, be a friend to them, or just generally treat them with some respect and dignity and go out of the way to care about them. When we make a sacrifice for God's kingdom, whether it is a monetary offering to a church or charity, a donation to a family in need, the sacrifice of our time in some kind of service to church or community... we are touching those people. You truly have no idea whether something that seems small to you actually has a very large impact on someone else. That is where the trust comes in. When God lays it on your heart to make a sacrifice, large or small, then you trust that that sacrifice will end up bringing glory to His kingdom and bringing others to Him. You put the sacrifice out there...He's the one responsible for the results.

Second, I think that people are, in general, looking around to see "good" people. "Who can show us any good?" they say. When our leaders are corrupt, our justice systemoften fails to do its job due to technicalities, and there are all sorts of atrocities being committed here and abroad that seem completely senseless, then people tend to look and say there just plain IS no good. People are evil, and that's just how it is. In addition, they often look at Christians, who are supposed to be "good", and see us doing the same things as everyone else, and they think if they "religious people" behave that way, then what is the point of religion. But, really, people do look around looking for a "good" person, and that good person need to be you and me. That's what we are supposed to be doing!

Last, a comment from popular culture. I was thinking this over and deciding what exactly to say the other night, and The Night Before Christmas came on TV. You know...the old cartoon with the mice and the clockmaker. And they sang the cute song that I had never really even paid attention to before. (It is, after all, singing mice...) The chorus says, "Even a miracle needs a hand."

Well, I don't think God "needs a hand" to get His miracles done. I'm not saying that at all. God can do a miracle whenever He feels like it. But sometimes He calls you and I to help. I don't think for an instant that's because He needs our help. I think it is because, as a loving God, He gives us the opportunity to help. He allows us to partner with Him to bring about the result of a miracle. He uses our "hands" to deliver a miracle to someone else. I think if we are unwilling or too busy, He raises up someone else to that job, but what a blessing we miss out on if that is the case! I certainly don't want to miss out...though I'm sure I often have just by not looking and listening and being willing.

Challenge for Today: Look around for where God wants you to impact someone else...in a large or small way...and act on it.