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Between the Period and the T

             “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.  On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. (Psalm 11:3-7)

When the foundations are being destroyed… this has been happening, without interruption, since Genesis 3. We’ve tried to rebuild the foundations, and we’ve tried to build new foundations. Sometimes, it seems as though we’re succeeding or they’re succeeding. Foundations are being built. At the same time, foundations are being torn down. Sometimes, we are the demolition team. Sometimes, they are. Sometimes, God is. The reason God either tears them down or allows them to be torn down is so that no one makes a god of the foundations. Instead, we should making God our foundation. That’s the one that can’t be destroyed.

This is a struggle for a number of people I know, including me. We have our foundations. They make us feel strong, capable, and safe. Then something happens – from a broken fingernail to the death of a loved one. The “something” doesn’t matter. What matters is that it happens. What should we, who think we’re righteous, do?

The next verse may seem out of place. What starts with us staring down at a ruin turns from that to where God is and what He’s doing between the period and the T. And God is not snoozing. He’s in His temple, on the throne. He knows what’s going on from a perspective we can’t imagine. Then the text takes another zig, because while we think He should be examining the wicked, He’s examining those who say they’re righteous. That’s not comfortable to think about.

He's punishing the wicked and the violent. Sulphur and  brimstone time in the song. We can rest secure in the knowledge that the wicked and violent will get “theirs,” but that raises a question. What about when those who call themselves “righteous” are the ones committing acts of violence? No doubt, they claim they’re justified and are doing God’s will. Someone has to do something, after all. And  there is something very clear and needed that we can do:

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7:14)

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