When everything seems pointless

The psalmist hits a crisis—one that any of us could face. Asaph is ready to throw in the towel. But then he finds a way out of the situation, one that anyone can follow.

“Surely, God is good to those who mean well, who show goodwill, and do something good every now and then. It has always been that way, hasn’t it?” Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler asked and then paused. “But wait a minute. There are also many wicked people who are very happy, and many good people who are very unhappy. How does this fit together?”

The divine service in Hanau, Germany, on 16 August centred on the reflections of the psalmist Asaph. “The psalmist is protesting,” the Chief Apostle said. “He takes a long, hard look at the state of the world.” At its core, this reality remains unchanged today, prompting the question even now: “I have always brought my offerings, I have served, and I have believed—has all of this been in vain?”

Breakthrough on the third attempt

“Asaph draws us into his crisis. He seriously contemplates the possibility of throwing in the towel.” Yet, he ultimately reaches three important insights:

• “If I were to leave now, I would have to leave behind those fellow believers whom I have come to cherish and love. I do not want that either.”
• “The wicked will meet a tragic end. The trouble is this theory is not entirely accurate either.” Besides: “Is it comforting to say, ‘Yes, all the wicked should end up that way?’ I do not believe it brings any comfort.”
• “Asaph comes to his third insight—the breakthrough. For a moment, he manages not to look at those around him, but to look at himself and at God.”

Then it dawns on him, “I had no idea about You, God!” He then proclaims the verses chosen for this divine service: “Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73: 23–24).

How God is there for us

“This is the God who remains with you and with me,” emphasised the Chief Apostle. “Jesus Christ remained on the cross: He remained with the sinner. He remained amidst hatred and violence. He even remained in death.”

And then the Chief Apostle spoke directly to the brothers and sisters:

• “I pray, sister, brother, that you may experience this God in the days ahead—this God who holds you by your right hand and never lets you go again when things are in turmoil and when everything in your life comes crashing down.”
• “And I pray that you may experience the God who guides you with His counsel where you can see no way forward, where you have lost your bearings. I hope that in your darkness you may see His light, where He calls out to you from afar: “Here, here is the light. Come here. This is the way for you.”
• “And I hope that you may recognise the God who receives you to glory. He is a God who speaks to your heart once again this morning, saying: “You are so honourable to Me in My eyes.”

“As New Apostolic Christians we believe that Jesus Christ will return,” the Chief Apostle continued. “Hopefully very, very soon—perhaps even today. Then I hope that we will all experience this: He is a God who accepts us in a way that no one before could ever have accepted us.”

Sharing God’s presence

“We may take this as an example,” urged the Chief Apostle and went on to cite examples:

• “Perhaps next week you will have an opportunity to stay by someone’s side, even when everyone else is walking away.”
• “Perhaps you will find yourself taking the right hand of a coworker, fellow student, or neighbour and saying, ‘Even if you feel all alone, I want to give you some of my time. I want to listen to you.’”
• “May an opportunity arise for you to shine a light and show someone a way forward—a neighbour, a coworker, someone else around you—and show them a path they too can walk.”
• “Oh, how wonderful it would be if, through the power of God, we could learn to accept others as they are—in their differences, their struggles, their joys, and their uniqueness.” If only we could simply say, “You, my fellow human being, I accept you just as you are, because you too were created by God.”