“Let not those
who hope in you be put to shame through me,
O Lord God of
hosts;
let not those
who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
O God of
Israel."
I must
admit that I am usually very hesitant to use one verse out of a huge chapter, especially
in using the book of Psalms. The reason is that there is a danger of misusing a
verse without considering the context of the entire chapter. Looking throughout
the rest of the Bible though, this verse seems to apply to a larger usage.
This
Psalmist is being true and honest with his cry to God. He is being pushed and
prodded by his enemies but in this moment he is sincere and this verse is evidence
of that sincerity. He cries out to God on the behalf of the people and the
image of God itself. He does not want to be responsible for being that negative
example that often so many people have. For instance, throughout the Hebrew
Bible (our Old Testament) Israel constantly brings dishonor by God for how they
live. It seems to be a common occurrence. Israel’s enemies mock God and defame
him constantly all because they see the often corrupt and hypocritical nature
of its people.
I am not
being harsh on Jewish history; this same thing happens today in Christianity. The
biggest hindrance for people to become Christians, or even to entertain the
idea of its truth claims, are the Christians. It’s really sad, but a lot of
people see the hypocrisy and the violence that Christianity has brought and
continues to bring.
We can’t
right the wrongs of all history; however, we can show people the truth by how
we live our lives. My challenge for you today is to look at yourself and see if
you are bringing this shame on the image of God, his message that is found in Jesus,
or your fellow believers who are really trying to live the right way. Does this
verse ring true in your life, or do you just call yourself a Christian but live
in such a way as to bring shame to the message that God has for others? It is a
harsh challenge, but we all have to look at our lives and the way we live to
see if we are doing more harm than good. You might be a sincere follower of
God, yet there might still be things in your life that are giving others the
wrong impression. It can range from how you treat your family to what you do
outside of church. I know that for myself, I need to check my own heart as well
because there are still things that I do that may give people the wrong idea.
Anyway, sorry for the super long
message, but I hope you will accept this challenge and see where God can bring
you.
Sincerely,
Just another dude.
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