Never Got it Together

March 7, 2024

”All the ends of the world 

Shall remember and turn to the Lord, 

And all the families of the nations 

Shall worship before You. 

For the kingdom is the Lord’s, 

And He rules over the nations. 

All the prosperous of the earth 

Shall eat and worship; 

All those who go down to the dust 

Shall bow before Him, 

Even he who cannot keep himself alive.“

—Psalm 22:27-29 NKJV

”From the four corners of the earth people are coming to their senses, 

are running back to God. 

Long-lost families are falling on their faces before him. 

God has taken charge; 

from now on he has the last word. 

All the power-mongers are before him —worshiping! 

All the poor and powerless, too —worshiping! 

Along with those who never got it together —worshiping!“

—Psalm 22:27-29 MSG

Sometimes it takes a fresh look at the Scriptures to get fresh insight. That happened to me in this morning’s Men’s prayer time. We always begin with a psalm; today’s was Psalm 22, which I commented upon yesterday. Towards its end, the above words appear. It’s plain enough in the more conventional translation, but stands out in bold relief in Eugene Peterson’s The Message.

I wouldn’t claim ultimate clarity or orthodoxy in my musings, but these words give me great comfort. That last phrase as Peterson puts it, is particularly striking: “those who never got it together—worshiping.” I know a lot of people who never got it together, and I have often wondered about their eternal destiny. It is comforting to me to picture my friends Crazy Kenny, Rick the Roofer, my buddy James, all bowing before God Almighty in worship and praise. It’s not much of a stretch for me to see this in my mind’s eye; after all, I can picture myself doing so, and I certainly don’t have it all together.

More than fifty years ago, my seminary theology professor, Dr. Paul Hessert, once told us that he believed everyone will spend eternity in the presence of God. He added, “For some, that will be heaven; for others, it will be hell.” I’ve thought about that many times over the years, and though it isn’t traditional orthodoxy, his view has some merit. Some would say it borders upon universalism, where everyone ends up saved. I’m not sure about that, but I do believe God’s grace extends further than mine, and that for everyone I’ll be surprised to see in heaven, there’ll be more than a few who are surprised to see me.

At any rate, this last phrase gave me deep comfort. I certainly hope to finish well this race of life, but I also sincerely hope that those who have to be carried or dragged over the finish line will too join in the praise and worship the saints and angels offer before the throne of Almighty God:

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: 

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain 

To receive power and riches and wisdom, 

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: 

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne, 

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Revelation 5:11-13 NKJV