Instant Karma

(Read Psalm 78)

I watched “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary recently, so maybe it’s still fresh in my mind. Some of the more seasoned readers of this Devotional might be familiar with “Instant Karma” written by John Lennon in 1970. Karma is a concept from Hinduism and Buddhism that loosely means “action.” It means different things to different religions, but it generally refers to cause and effect where every action a person takes will affect him or her sometime in the future. As a Christian believer, I’m not sure I buy that premise. God does correct us, sometimes for things we’ve done and sometimes to refine us. But if you believe in Jesus Christ, you know that He already paid the price for the sins we’ve done or will do in our life.

Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
because they did not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power,
Yet he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
and he rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Psalm 78:21-24

Asaph, a Levitical worship leader assigned by King David wrote Psalm 78 describing the time when Moses led his people through the wilderness from Egypt to the land of Cana. The intent of this Psalm was to remind Israel, and us, to perpetually tell the story of God’s deliverance, love, and providence to future generations.

The redemptive love in this passage hit me like a lightning bolt when I first read it. It stood out from the rest of the Psalm as if it was highlighted with a sharpie. That’s the way God sometimes reveals His messages to us. How many times did God have to warn His people not to stray, not to worship idols? How many times does He tell us the same thing — and what do we do? Despite our grumbling and our weakness, God reacts with love. The Israelites strayed far and wide. They worshipped other gods, had altars to various idols, doubted and distrusted God’s promises. They lashed out at Moses and God for making their exodus from Egypt difficult. How did God answer them? He, “opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat.”

They doubted God’s power and His love. From what I gather, they didn’t even think He could help them through their troubles. This wasn’t missed by God. He heard their cries (whines) and was furious about this sin against Him.

I was playing a competitive round of golf with a college friend many years ago and on this particular hole, I drove first. I crushed it. The pressure was on my friend. He shanked his drive off the side of his clubhead and he cursed God the second he struck the ball. The ball hit a tree about about twenty-five feet away and boomeranged back at him and nearly took his head off. We laughed uneasily as we both had an epiphany that “God was listening” and wasn’t too happy with his comment.

He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again.
Psalm 78:39

When I was a teenager, I started reading books about a Hindu prophet. It fit in well with the music and culture I was immersed in. The Yogi’s writings made a lot of sense, they were logical, and they spoke to me. I started meditating too. At that time in my life, prayer didn’t have a big role. But I stopped altogether in favor of pouring over Hindu writings and meditation time. I still believed in a Savior, Jesus, but he was put in the trunk without importance. Then, one day while skateboarding down a really steep hill in my neighborhood, I had this sharp, cutting thought. This eastern religion I was flirting with, while peaceful and calm, left me hollow. It made me feel good, but not reassured. I felt balanced but not forgiven. All my baggage was still with me. I needed more.

God who had made us “flesh,” so no one more than Him understands and has compassion on our weaknesses. As James wrote, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

We should be careful never to take what God has done for us for granted. Do we sell Him short? Are we limiting Him, what He can do for us, how much He loves us? Our hearts will always find time to wander in the wilderness. Yet. God’s people lost faith in Him, cursed Him, turned their back on His goodness, yet God loved them and fed them. The Israelites cried out in the desert for meat, yet God gave them what they asked for. It rained quail.

There is a snapshot of us in Israel’s history. Despite, God’s patience and warnings, we will still continue to diminish His providence. God will continue to deliver us, feed us, and save us just as He kept giving His people the “bread of heaven and angels’ food.”

As the song goes, “Instant Karma’s going to get you, going to knock you right on the head.” There’s some truth in this statement on a topical level. In many ways, we reap what we sow. What Lennon’s song doesn’t account for is what Jesus cried out on the cross. “Tetelestai!” It is finished. Remember God’s plans for you, His forgiveness, His unending love for everything we do — good and bad. Our failings are covered by the price Jesus paid. We will endure painful struggles but it’s more a fact of life than being punished for something we did.

We are supposed to pass on our faith and the good news of Jesus Christ to the next generation. For those with children, make sure to talk about your past mistakes with them. Help them see how to learn from failures. They will see God’s hand of redemption and hope in your life.

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:13

Key Application:

• Read Psalm 78, yes it’s a long one but very powerful. Look for examples of God’s mercy in this Psalm. His grace which began with Adam and Eve is evident today and will continue through the end of time. Look for examples in your life when you have been angry with God or doubted His ability to answer you. Consider if you were upset with God because your plans had gone wrong or because you limited His abilities. Include trust in your prayer to Him each day this week.

Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.