June 14, 2019
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Psalms? Here’s today’s reading:
Psalm 79 (ESV)
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
to the birds of the heavens for food,
the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth........Continue Reading
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Psalm 79:13 (ESV)
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Even in the misery of national disaster, the psalmist bows in humility rather than raising his fist toward heaven to blame God. He also pleads to the only one who can atone for sin. Little did the psalmist know that in a few generations, the spotless lamb of God would be slain for the sin of the world.
I was struck by the position of humility in the face of devastation. Even devastation at the hand of God is met with humility. How often do we wager with God that we are undeserving of the suffering we endure, even when it is nowhere near as crushing as it depicted here?
Help us, God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.
What a comfort to have God as a resource for all the different circumstances of life and find one who is powerful and just to resolve whatever we bring before Him. He is righteous and merciful as well. One who has told us that He will correct us when we go wayward and yet one who has mercy to forgive and restore us. And do it all in a way that satisfies His character and our need at the same time! And what a gift prayer is to allow us to present our questions and input and even our doubts and know that God will find a way to answer according to His kingdom and His will. We don’t always know what He is doing but prayer gives us a sounding board to engage and ask and process through His word, His character and His promises what we can ask for and depend on. But then leave it before Him to do what is best and fitting, even if the result makes us uncomfortable. There is a confidence we can then have based in the fact that we have turned it over to Him even when the circumstances we face are hard like those that Asaph and the people of Israel are facing here.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake!
“Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.”
Lay waste to the nations who do not honor your name…