“God in the Psalms, Part 1: God’s Goodness” by the Rev. Dr. Don Wahlig, July 28, 2024, Year B / Pentecost 10 (Proper 12) -  2 Samuel 11:1-15 and Psalm 14 • 2 Kings 4:42-44 and Psalm 145:10-18 • Ephesians 3:14-21 • John 6:1-21

THEME:  Trust in the gospel and share it with our kids to give them hope.

Does the name Paul Harvey mean anything to you? Those of us of a certain age, will remember Paul Harvey fondly as one of our nation’s most famous radio broadcasters. Earlier this week I came across some of his old radio recordings. It made me curious, so I decided to do a little digging into his background.  It turns out that he got his start as a 14-year-old boy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His English teacher noticed his remarkable baritone voice and brought him down to the local radio station. Soon he was reading the news on air. It wasn’t long after that when he was hired by the ABC affiliate in Chicago. And for the next 50 years, his voice was heard all over the country and overseas.  What he is most famous for is a radio segment that he developed along with his son.  It was a short segment called The Rest of the Story. How many of you remember listening to that? The idea was to give the backstory of famous people and events, with a set-up that kept the identity secret until it was revealed after a quick sponsor’s break. It concluded with the famous tagline, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

As I read this morning’s psalm, it struck me that it too might very well be called just that: the rest of the story. As we begin this series on the Psalms, let’s take a moment to realize what it is that we are reading. The Psalms were ancient Israel’s songbook. Just like we have hymnals in the pew racks, Israel had psalms to sing in worship. Like the very best hymns, the psalms are prayers, in the form of poetry, set to music. They cover the entire range of Israel’s relationship with God. Some speak of deep lament and despair. Others sing of triumphant praise and hope.

Psalm 145 is one of the latter. It is Israel’s joyous response to God’s deliverance from the worst calamity ever to befall his people. After 50 years of captivity in Babylon, they have finally been allowed to return home to Judah.  As they rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, they are also rebuilding their worship life. This psalm is an outpouring of deep gratitude and praise for God’s goodness, for all the great things he has done to deliver his people. Politically, Israel may now ruled by a foreign king, but God, and God alone, is their one and only true king.  And his mighty works on his people’s behalf are the proof.

They sing,

“All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,

  and all your faithful shall bless you.

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,

  and tell of your power,

to make known to all people your mighty deeds,

  and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

  and your dominion endures throughout all generations.”
 

If you were reading this psalm in Hebrew, you would notice something interesting. The first word in each line begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, beginning with A, then B, and so on. This alphabetic structure is called an acrostic. It made it easier for children and adults to memorize this psalm. Young and old alike would use it to meditate on God’s great goodness. You and I think of meditation as something we do internally. But meditation is not only done in silence. After all, when you are created, loved, and redeemed by a god as good and great as Yahweh, you cannot keep silent. You have to shout it out loud. You have to sing songs about it. And you cannot keep it to yourself. You want to make sure your kids know God and what he’s like, so they can tell their kids.  And Lord knows our kids need that good news. They need it now more than ever.

Multiple studies of happiness levels over the last 15 years among American children have shown a distressing drop. They are now the least happy of all age groups in our country. Relative to children in other countries, American children rank 62^nd. That means that children in Saudi Arabia, Guatemala and Bulgaria are happier than our kids. Doesn’t that make you sad? It is downright tragic.

There is no question that this is partly connected to the dramatic increase in time spent on social media. On school nights, fully 1/3 of American children routinely stay up until midnight using social media. The message they get there is not a good one. It tells them they are inadequate, that they do not measure up to others. Social media magnifies the usual adolescent fears that our youth are less attractive than others, and their lives are less exciting. Is it any wonder that the rates of anxiety and depression among children are skyrocketing? Of course, the world situation does not help either. Everyday, news headlines shout in bold-face type about violence and fear, war and disease, climatic upheaval and global Armageddon. To young minds, it seems overwhelming. It is all too easy for them to become cynical about the future. 

But that, friends, is only part of the story, and it’s not even the most important part – not by a long shot. What is missing is what Paul Harvey used to call the rest of the story. In the midst of turmoil and uncertainty in the world, Paul Harvey recorded daily episodes that always had positive, inspirational themes. Themes like persistence and kindness, integrity and graciousness, fairness and compassion.  Most of all, they were stories of hope and faith, just like Psalm 145.  

That is our story, too. The gospel is the single most hopeful, most uplifting message of all time. God is good. God loves us. God is with us – always and everywhere. And in the midst of a chaotic and often cruel world, God is – still – the ultimate power. Always was – and always will be. Even when we cannot see it or feel it, God is at work, acting out his plan to redeem our lives and lift us out of our suffering. Like Paul Harvey’s messages of faith and hope, the gospel is the rest of the story that gives meaning to all that came before. It puts into context all that is unjust and destructive in our world. It assures us that our pain is not permanent, that our suffering is temporary, and our ultimate destiny is new life with Christ, now and in the hereafter. It promises life that is truly worth living – and cause to praise our Creator who is the architect of life.

If you will permit me to use some of those fancy words that Lisa and I learned in seminary, God is sovereign, God is omnipotent, and God is benevolent.  He is in control in ways that are mysterious and often beyond our knowing. He has the power to work his will so that no one and nothing can resist it. And he is always and forever working for our good. But what does that mean? We can speak those words, but how do we put them to work? Yes, God is sovereign, but that doesn’t mean he works alone. In fact, he does some of his best work through agents like you and me. 

That’s why he came to be one of us. God wants us to be the hands and feet of his son, who is not only the pioneer of our faith, but the prototype of our discipleship. What would our lives be like if we actually did this? What would it mean for you and me to fully trust that God is sovereign, omnipotent and benevolent? If we did, I have to believe it would transform the quality of our day-to-day living and our relationships.  For starters, we would be more peaceful, knowing that outcomes are ultimately up to God, not us. We would be more content, trusting that our job is to be faithful, instead of trying to play God by controlling every outcome.

When things do go wrong, we would be less likely to despair.  We would trust that God is still at work for our good and the good of all his children, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Trials would become meaningful opportunities to grow in faith and resilience, instead of temptations to give up hope and rail at God. Finally, we would be more patient, gracious and generous toward others, knowing that God is at work in them, too. We would see more clearly that all of us are playing a part in the divine plan. By loving our neighbors, we are following in Christ’s footsteps, obedient to his Father’s will.

So, friends, let’s take the goodness and greatness of God to heart. Let’s trust in the hope of the gospel, and let’s share that message with our kids and their kids.  Because the gospel is not only the rest of our story.  It is the best of our story.

May it be so.