Mon., 7/11/16 Devotion (Ps. 146:5, 9b)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 146:5 & 9b, where we find this remarkable contrast:

"Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God . . . But the way of the wicked [God] turns upside down."

According to these verses, God-lovers are happy; and God-haters are miser-able. Why, then, does it often seem to be the other way around? This is be-cause sometimes God allows the wicked to prosper, and the righteous to suffer. But the end result is to "fatten" the godless for slaughter; and to hum-ble the godly, so that they can be made joyful.

If the "God of Jacob" is *our* God, then we, like Jacob, will go through tough times—but we will also be supremely and supernaturally happy in Jesus, by grace.

[Puritan quote of the day: "No man can feel sin but by grace. A wicked man is insensible. Lay a hundred pound weight upon a dead man, he does not com-plain; but being sensible of corruption, argues a gracious principle.” —Thom-as Watson, in, "A Body of Divinity"]