“You have breached all his walls; You have laid his strongholds in ruins. All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes; You have made all his enemies rejoice. You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and You have not made him stand in battle.” Psalm 89:40-43
Devotional Thought For The Day
Again we are privileged to enter into the deep spiritual lamenting of the psalmist, this serious believer and child of God. He describes what he can observe – the utter demise of the nation of Israel, which was part and parcel of all promises made to David. The nation is personified as “David,” so that what is promised to David is promised to the nation, and what befalls the nation has befallen David. He is describing a defenseless, helpless, hapless, forlorn, victimized group of people. Even when they stand up to fight their “sword” is ineffective and they cannot remain in the field, but must forsake the fight. Of course, this is what they brought upon themselves when they forsook the Word of God, the gracious mercy and love of God bestowed upon the humble and repentant, when they traded God, the only True and Living God, for polytheism and the idolatry of their time. While the psalmist seems to blame God, the real fault and blame lies with the people themselves – those who abandoned God’s Word, the Scripture.
The same principles apply to children of God living today, that what is promised to the church is promised to each of us individually, and what happens to the church happens to us, and what happens to us happens to the church. No man is an island – especially not within the church, the body of Christ! It is a grotesque spiritual deficiency that we are more concerned about our own personal finances, health, well-being, happiness, privilege, and prerogative than we are with the health and vitality of the church [and that of our fellow believers]. Likewise, no congregation is an island, but a group of people belonging to the body of Christ! It is also a gross spiritual deficiency that we are not all that concerned with the troubles, problems, and demise of other congregations of Christians – as if their problems are not our own, and as if their troubles are nothing to us, as if their ministry is not our own ministry in Christ and the grace of God. Then we find it strange and marvel when our own sword [our effectiveness and efficiency in ministering the Word of God] is made dull and ineffective, and we can no longer stand in the battle. And then, like the psalmist, we question God, His faithfulness, rather than look in the mirror. Lord, have mercy!
The psalmist is correct in attributing all that happens to God. All things are in His control – although some things are consequential, and are permitted rather than “caused” by God. Still, God is the One with Whom we must ultimately address our concerns and our affairs. He has shown us the way of life through His Word, Holy Scripture, and He has provided us with all that we need for salvation, spiritual life, and eternal life in His gracious mercy, forgiveness, and love in Christ Jesus. He has promised us the blessings of His providence, grace, and love – for all of our days in this life, and for all of eternity in His glorious heavenly kingdom. He has assured that all things must work together for the good and blessedness of His people, even the dark and difficult things that we must endure, so that we can focus on what is essential, all that pertains to love, compassion, decency, and the truth of His Word. We are privileged to focus on the immediate context and leave the big picture in His hands, walking by faith and not by sight, adhering to His Word and conforming to it. Though the “walls of Zion” may appear “breached,” Christ continues to build His church and in the end His kingdom will be glorious. We are blessed, along with the psalmist, to be part of this – though we also must lament the many tribulations God’s people pass through on their way to His glory. Better to care and lament than to desert the fellowship of God’s love.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, Your ways are above and beyond our fathoming. Help us as we struggle with the deplorable and depressing aspects of life in this fallen world, especially the weaknesses and ills that Your church must suffer. Keep us firm in faith and trust in Your redemption and Your eternal love, and also in Your power and providence. Enable us to stand in the battle even when it appears our sword is dull and the enemy is rejoicing. Amen.
NOTE: We have pastor’s conference this week, so this may be the only devotion this week. Past devotions can be accessed at the links below.