ALL THE RANT

Have you ever exploded?  I mean, really gone off, so much so that you were shocked that the flurry of words came from your lips?  I have, and a time in particular that I remember occurred back in the summer of 1974.  It’s painful to think about in retrospect, because over time and by nature, I have become—or still am—the kind of person the one that I judged was.

Gary, at 14, was a year younger than me.  We were part of a group of about 16 kids traveling through 16 western states on a six week camping trip.  All said it was a great time and a fantastic learning experience, especially in getting along.

When I read through Psalm 52, I think of Gary and my response to him.  He was a master of sarcasm, and being (at the time) the eternal optimist, I didn’t especially like that—but I could tolerate it—for a while.  Finally, his sharp words and attitudes about the universe that centered around him were just too much for my soul to take.  I yelled explosively at him, and after that he changed for the collective good, but I’m not sure that my rant was all that healthy.

Venting gave me peace, but only for a brief season, and at the peril of the peace of others, I’m sure.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Gary would lie from time to time to make his point.  It was not his most endearing quality.

The Gary’s of this world—and those that are much worse than them—seem resolved to live in a daily world where deceit is the language of choice, and evil plans abound that they might exalt their own agenda. 

Those that exhibit more self-control—those that are righteous by virtue of a personal relationship with God, will enjoy the peace that comes in seeing their comeuppance.  The best part of that, however, is that it comes concurrent with a strengthening from the Lord of the one that witnesses it.

I’m glad for Gary.  He taught me how to be a better person by causing me to reflect on how I dealt with things—which ultimately caused me to become a person of much greater peace.  I find it ironic that I learnt a lot from somebody that thought he was teaching me a lesson—that was merely designed to exalt himself.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 52

New King James Version (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation^[a] of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

 ¹ Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
         The goodness of God endures continually.
 ² Your tongue devises destruction,
         Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
 ³ You love evil more than good,
         Lying rather than speaking righteousness.  Selah
 ⁴ You love all devouring words,
         You deceitful tongue.
       
 ⁵ God shall likewise destroy you forever;
         He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
         And uproot you from the land of the living.  Selah
 ⁶ The righteous also shall see and fear,
         And shall laugh at him, saying,
 ⁷ “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
         But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
         And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
       
 ⁸ But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
         I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
 ⁹ I will praise You forever,
         Because You have done it;
         And in the presence of Your saints
         I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 52:1 Hebrew Maschil