"Till I Entered the Sanctuary of God"

Yes, I am one of those who now has a Formspring.me account. Formspring.me is a website that allows (with different available options for privacy) others to ask questions, anonymously or with their name attached. At first, when I noticed my roommate had one, I thought it was just a silly way of asking silly questions, and so far most of the profiles I've seen have been fun and silly, maybe a sarcastic remark here or there. After a while, I found a few more friends using the site and decided to create my own. It's turned out that the questions I get aren't as silly and carefree as I was expecting. In fact, this very post is inspired by a question I just finished answering about an hour ago.

After I responded to the particular question (with much meditation and carefully chosen words of course for excruciating clarity), I couldn't help but wonder about the response that I am and have been getting through this opportunity for people to bring up issues with me anonymously. Each time I receive a question or comment of that particular sort, I'm initially shocked and slightly hurt, and then almost immediately I smile. I smile because I am offending people with Christ. I smile because I have not allowed myself to become watered down, but, on the contrary, more saturated in Christ than before. I smile because others notice God when I'm around. This is not meant to build me up, to say what a good Christian I am, but to encourage others, you, myself.

It may be hard, lonely (from the social perspective), challenging, discouraging, and all sorts of other not fun things to be a follower of Christ who not only follows but adores and reflects Him. My latest (re)discovery is Psalm 73, and it is a very refreshing Psalm to read. The Psalmist starts out talking about the prosperity of the wicked, "This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth" in verse 12. But after 14 verses of ranting about how good the "bad" people have it and about all the trouble he has gone to in staying faithful ("Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning."), he remembers God and how the whole story ends! He spends the next 14 verses praising God and reminding himself that his efforts to follow God faithfully and wholeheartedly are not in vain! "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.... But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." It is a fascinating Psalm and story, and upon every reading, I cannot help but be excited and encouraged and absolutely enthralled with my God! I challenge you to read Psalm 73and let God work in you because of it.