Redeemed Days 4-5

I just finished the first week, I think, of the Redeemed Bible study and so far, so good.  I have been looking forward to each day's lesson, and even though I am not into a routine for reading, such as first thing in the morning or just before I go to sleep, I like that non-routine because it is flexible for me.  It's not like 'well, I missed reading this morning so I am doomed now' type of situation.  I can work it in whenever.

So far I have been reading through the Psalms and this process has been very eye-opening for me.  

First it is different than what I have been used to with the Proverbs 31 studies in that it isn't all about feeling great about ourselves and searching for scriptures that relate to that.

Second it is focused on actual study of the verses, reading, looking at Angie's prayer and prompts, and responding in prayer, which seems to me more meaningful, at least right now in my life.

Third, I like how scripture can be interpreted to fit one's situation.  That is one problem Dad had with ministers and churches, though.  He didn't like the 'spin' that some ministers took on scripture, interpreting it the way they wanted to, taking verses out of context, and changing the meanings of some of the words to fit certain beliefs.

As I have been reading through those first 10 chapters of Psalms, I have noticed so much about the dangers of the evil nations, the people who work hard to destroy, those who attack against the righteous.  When I read that I immediately thought about all of the hatred in our country today.  People just seem to jump on the negative bandwagon, name call, toss out diatribes against others, work hard to separate or cause dissension, find fault with everything, and work against everything that is good.   That is happening now in our country.  It is.  Picking everything apart.  Looking for the bad in everything that happens.  Never seeing anything good.  It is happening on the national level, the state level, even at the local level, but it is also happening within families and between neighbors as well.  Something is wrong when the first inclination is to point out the negative or try to find fault.

But it is also pertinent to our own lives, each and every day.  People try to discredit us, to make us feel like we can't accomplish. Monkey wrenches are thrown into  the midst of an activity or into a happy event. Many conflicts arise where people are at odds, not willing to forget their differences for the sake of others. Just looking around, being with other people, going out into the public, watching the news, checking posts on Facebook, and we see dissension in the ranks.  Everywhere.

Isn't it time for doing good to rise above?  Take a look at all of the people who are helping residents of Houston.  No one is looking at a house with water up to the windows and people inside and saying 'Only if you are white will we rescue you.'  No one is looking at a rescue team and saying 'Uh..no thanks....I am Hispanic and I don't trust you white people to rescue me so I will just stay here in my nearly submerged car and wait until other Hispanics come to help.' A person who needs to be resuscitated is not going to stop an EMT and ask if he/she is gay or straight because he doesn't want mouth-to-mouth from any of those types of people.  People help others.  They really do.  There are good people all over our country.  Why can't they be recognized more for their good deeds that the focus being on those who work hard to keep our country divided?

I am not sure that the writer of the Psalms had a hurricane hitting Houston and the attitudes in our country in 2017 in mind when he wrote these verses, but I do know that God knows everything even before it happens, so He did have a plan.  What would happen if more people took notice?