By: Pastor Jarren Rogers, Lead Pastor at Spencer
I am learning that one of the ways in which God tests his most devoted followers–to make sure that they truly have patience, trust, and compassion that mirrors the character of Christ Jesus–is by giving them toddlers.
Oh goodness, what patience, trust, and compassion is needed!
One thing that will never cease to amaze me is how quickly a toddler can go from laughing and playing to a messy, snotty, kicking-and-screaming, breakdown.
When these moments come with my daughter Rosie, I don’t always know what to do, but I usually default to the same line:
“Rosie, it’s all good.”
When she trips and falls, and I see the tears welling up, I try to get ahead of it with a quick, “Rosie, it’s all good!”
When she wakes up and her morning milk isn’t ready to go and Daniel Tiger isn’t on the TV, just before the meltdown begins, I speak calmly, like I’m backing away from an angry tiger that’s escaped its’ cage, “Rosie...it’s all good”
When dinner is over and she finds out that someone ate the last Oreo...wait...you know what? A tantrum is probably justified there.
Otherwise, it’s a phrase often repeated in our house, “Rosie, it’s all good.”
It kind of reminds me of the words of the psalmist in Psalm 79. In this psalm, the psalmist is lamenting the loss of Jeruselum and the temple.
Things appear hopeless. It seems as if God is distant. Has He forgotten His people? Is He angry with us?
The Psalmist pleads for compassion and deliverance. He yearns to see prisoners freed and revenge on Israel’s enemies.
While we may not be able to relate to the deep brokenness of the psalmist and his grief over the destruction of the holy temple and city, we still may be able to relate on his bleak outlook on the world.
I don’t know about you, but there have been seasons of my life where it has felt as if God was distant. It felt like my prayers were bouncing off the ceiling. It seemed as if the future looked grim.
But the psalmist shows us that even in moments like that, there is hope. Deliverance is on the horizon. God is faithful.
But the psalmist provides a twist to this familiar message.
“But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise” (v. 13).
The psalmist says that, in spite of the darkness of the season they are in, the people of God will choose to give thanks. Not just them, but their children and their grand children, and their great-grandchildren will have attitudes of thanksgiving as well.
What a beautiful message. Wouldn’t you love to mirror that prayer in your own life? What if, in a dark and difficult world, you, and your family, and your children, and your children’s children do not have attitudes of pessimism, but of hope and gratitude.
Here’s what we have to understand: It begins with us. This Advent season, as we gather and spend time with family, do our attitudes and words show the generations after us that the future is grim and there is no hope?
Or are we teaching our families how to give thanks? Do we have attitudes which point forward to Jesus the Christ, who He is, what He’s done, what He’s doing, and what He’s going to do!
In light of King Jesus, give thanks, because, as I tell my daughter, it’s all good!