Getting past the scenery by Gary Rose

To those who know me, it is no surprise to learn that 2016 has been a very hard year- physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and practically every way imaginable. And conversely, I should have realized that others are painfully aware of this as well.  Last night was an eye-opener to me; a brother-in-Christ came up to me and told me that he was worried about me. It meant a great deal to me that he said this, but if he is reading this- Don't worry about me. Why? Because I have learned to start with and then go beyond the scenery.

What in the world do I mean by this... Please read the following Psalm.

Psalm 9 (WEB)

 ¹ I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart. 
I will tell of all your marvelous works. (emp. added GDR)
  ² I will be glad and rejoice in you. 
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 

  ³ When my enemies turn back, 
they stumble and perish in your presence. 

  ⁴ For you have maintained my just cause. 
You sit on the throne judging righteously. 

  ⁵ You have rebuked the nations. 
You have destroyed the wicked. 
You have blotted out their name forever and ever. 

  ⁶ The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. 
The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished. 

  ⁷ But Yahweh reigns forever. 
He has prepared his throne for judgment. 

  ⁸ He will judge the world in righteousness. 
He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness. 

  ⁹ Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; 
a high tower in times of trouble. 

  ¹⁰ Those who know your name will put their trust in you, 
for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you. 

  ¹¹ Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, 
and declare among the people what he has done. 

  ¹² For he who avenges blood remembers them. 
He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted. 

  ¹³ Have mercy on me, Yahweh. 
See my affliction by those who hate me, 
and lift me up from the gates of death,   ¹⁴ that I may show all of your praise. 
I will rejoice in your salvation in the gates of the daughter of Zion. 

  ¹⁵ The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. 
In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken. 

  ¹⁶ Yahweh has made himself known. 
He has executed judgment. 
The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.

  ¹⁷ The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol,
even all the nations that forget God. 

  ¹⁸ For the needy shall not always be forgotten, 
nor the hope of the poor perish forever. 

  ¹⁹ Arise, Yahweh! Don’t let man prevail. 
Let the nations be judged in your sight. 

  ²⁰ Put them in fear, Yahweh. 
Let the nations know that they are only men. 
Selah.

God almighty has created this world and everything in it; but HE didn't stop there, because he has worked with his creation since that creation.  And not just the things we see around us (I call this the scenery), but with HUMAN BEINGS as well. 

The following I consider a fact: Those who genuinely seek God, are in turn sought out by HIM!!! God helps them individually and them all collectively. The old and new testaments are history (otherwise known as HIS-STORY). As I can testify, God has been working behind the scenes (and sometimes in very obvious ways) throughout my life to use me according to HIS WILL.

Because of these things, I can tell you that everything will eventually be made ~100% perfect in this life and absolutely perfect in the next. So, no matter what the scenery may look like, Once I get beyond the scenery (or, in the case of the Psalm- beyond verse 1) I realize that I am never, ever alone because God is there.  At that moment and following I find great peace. Things may still go wrong and fall apart, but God never will.

To my worrying brother-in-Christ: If I can think this way, then so can you!!! Rejoice in the LORD and again I say REJOICE!!!

Gary