That little guy in his business suit up there in this week's picture sort of makes me laugh. He's trying to be all professional and whatnot, but he's super uncomfortable with that giant magnifying glass over him. Maybe it's because he's about to burst into flame, but most likely it's because he doesn't like to be that closely observed. I guess if you think about it, he's a lot like our modern celebrities. I'm sure many of you guys remember Britney Spears' "meltdown," as the news called it, where she shaved her head and whatnot, followed by the famous "Leave Britney Alone" video on youtube. It's kind of funny at first, but then again, you can't help but feel bad for celebrities like her. Constant newscasters and photographers everywhere you go. Crazy Jr. High fans (just kidding :P). As a celeb, the world's eyes are on you 24/7, and they leave absolutely no privacy for you. Celebrities literally live their lives under the microscope, but they aren't the only ones!
Verse 1
To the world, Christianity is foolish. Each one rejects God for their own reason, but the resulting attitude is almost always the same; negative feelings towards christians. When people learn that we are christian, often times they begin to watch our actions to see if we hold up to what we say we are. It is unfortunate, but in this way, we are also sentenced to a life under the microscope. And, since we are all imperfect sinners, we inevitably mess up, and that's when Christianity gets judgements placed upon it, similar to the one we see here in verse 1. "See, look, they don't do what they say they believe in: they messed up. That means that Christianity is a sham." Sadly that is too often what goes through unbelievers' minds, and it leads to bitterness and hardened hearts. It is an event that I see happening around me in my own life, and every time it breaks my heart. It is a foolish and immature action on the part of the unbeliever, but you can't say it isn't fair, I suppose. We are indeed failing to meet our own proclaimed way of life. However, the wondrous fact about our relationship with God is that, through Jesus' death and resurrection, we are made perfect and un-stained. He views each and every one of His children as spotless, and that is the all-important fact that the world overlooks in their judgement.
Verses 2-4
Upon reading this part of the Psalm, my heart is put at peace. Why, you may ask? It is pointing out the depravity of sin, after all, but the grace that I see in this situation is that God is constantly looking for all who may believe! He never deserts us believers, and constantly protects us, but he doesn't stop there! For all of our friends who aren't saved, for all of humanity, He maintains a passionate desire for a relationship. There is always hope for even the hardest of hearts, because He will never give up on them. They may attack God's children, nit-pick aspects of us through their microscopes, or turn a cold shoulder all together upon us and give us over as "outsiders," but through all that, God seeks after their hearts. If He is so crazy about unbelievers, how much more does He go wild over those who have a relationship with Him? Amazingly enough, through all this, though, there are still many who "devour believers as men eat bread;" We will always be inspected by those outside of Christianity, but that is not something to be afraid of! How many more opportunities to set an example as believers will we have, the more they turn up the magnification!
Verses5-7
No matter what the world throws our way, God is always our support! Evildoers may try to bring you down, and they come in many forms. Even a friend having a rough day can sometimes feel like taking it out on you, but these verses tell us that God is always right there with us! He is where we truly draw our strength from. To quote one of my favorite songs at the moment "When you're weak, Love is strong" (Hold On - Phil Wickham). In times of scrutiny or attack, God's love never fails. All we need to do is move our self out of the way, and lean upon His strength so He can work through us. This sort of trusting relationship is exactly the type that comes as a result of "praying without ceasing," to tie back to last week's Psalm. The works that God can do through us are truly amazing, and He will use even the least of us if only we are willing to let Him do so.
Passing Inspection:
One of the scariest things that you can face is opening yourself up for public inspection. Whether you find yourself on stage for a school play, or talking with a best friend about someone you like, you will most likely be sweating bullets. I know that I am extremely self conscious in situations like that, and I'm willing to bet you guys understand what I mean from your own experiences. As Christians though, we always live under the microscope. Non-believers are always going to be there to inspect our Christian attitudes and actions on a daily basis. Thankfully, though, our Father is with us every step of the way, and is always willing to lend us His strength. With Him, we can pass our inspection; He loves using regular people like you and me as examples to those around us, because the best argument for Christianity can often be the believer who shows love to his friend when he needs it most.
My challenge to you guys this week - Set an example through your life that reflects a Christ-like attitude, but don't forget to rely on the Lord's strength to do so.
-Matt
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