Yesterday my family and I had the privilege of worshipping with friends at a church in Minnesota. At one point in the service we responsively read Psalm 145. In the midst of the reading, I was struck by v. 17, "The LORD is righeous in all his ways and kind in all his works."
For those of us on the receiving end of Minot's flood and the concomitant loses and challenges it's causing, this verse is poignant and challenging. Read it again, "The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works." Few in Minot would quickly point to the summer of 2011 as a season in which God is proving kind to us and our city, but the Psalmist sets us straight. Somehow, in the mystery of God's eternal plan, the evacuation which has left many of us homeless is a mark of God's kindness. The destruction of our houses, goods and neighborhoods is a message to us spoken by a kind Sovereign. There is kindness in our lack of clean water and a functional sewer system. The cancellation of summer sports, the state fair, the swimming pool and life as we usually know it is a clarion call of kindness from heaven. Psalm 145:17 brooks no exceptions, "The LORD is righteous in all (not just some) of his ways and kind in all (not just some) of his works."
As the magnitude of loss for some of us sets in over the coming weeks, we may be tempted to direct our anger at God or get emotionally bogged down in disillusionment. We need to make Psalm 147:17 our best friend and constant companion and trust that no matter what we find when we finally get into our waterlogged houses and no matter how long it takes to rebuild our city and lives, the Lord IS righteous in all his ways; He IS kind in all his works.
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