“For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy. How great are Your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but You, O LORD, are on high forever.” Psalm 92:4-8
Devotional Thought For The Day
Some people know about God, His works, His wisdom, His Word, His love and compassion, His forgiveness and mercy, and the deeply inscrutable ways in which He governs all things. Others do not understand these things and come to many erroneous conclusions about God, about themselves, about life, about other people, and about what is coming. Some of the worst are those who plunge themselves into evil because over the short-term they observe that crime appears to pay dividends – without consideration that ultimately the wicked are “doomed to destruction forever.” They discount God and disregard His assurance that all who do not repent and receive His forgiveness and gracious renewal in love by faith in Jesus “shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides” on them. [Jn. 3:36] Oblivious to the ways of God they choose to flourish for a time with the wicked and suffer eternal destruction rather than to receive the eternal life that God calls us to through repentance and faith in Jesus.
On the other hand, many determine to do all that they can to avoid acknowledging the reality of their sin and wickedness, and consider it their highest duty to present themselves as “good, righteous, and holy” people who do not need God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness. These are perhaps even more insufferable than the wicked in that they purposefully corrupt and pervert a true and correct knowledge of God, reject His great gift of love in Christ Jesus, and engage in all manner of “white” wickedness – considering themselves far too high and holy to hang out with Jesus and the “sinners” He gathers around Himself. They refuse to enter into the Father’s house where the “prodigals” are gathered and are being feted, rejecting them in self-righteous condemnation and even casting condemnation on the Father for His gracious love and mercy. [Luke 15:27-30] These also are justly called “wicked” and will suffer the same end as those who plunge themselves into immorality and sin.
Considering that both of these impulses and patterns of thought pervade our own fallen nature, it truly is a wondrous and miraculous work of God that He has brought any of us to proper repentance and joy in His gracious work of redemption and salvation in Christ Jesus! That we are able to clearly see and identify our grievous sins of thought, word, and deed, that we are moved to humbly confess them to our heavenly Father in repentance, and that we continue to take refuge and solace in His gracious mercy and forgiveness, finding joy in His cleansing and love, is indeed a great and marvelous work of God.
Let us also find joy in His work today and every day, in the depth of His loving thoughts toward us, and give Him our grateful worship and praise. In this way we are preserved from plunging ourselves into evil and also deterred from the grotesque hypocrisy that keeps the self-righteous outside of God’s kingdom. Entering God’s kingdom through the “narrow way,” through His gracious mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ, we share the status He has given us as His own dear children, heirs of eternal life, and just as the LORD is on high forever, so too we have eternal life in the glory of His heaven. Just how great is this His work? Surely we too have been made glad by His work, and sing for joy at all that He has done for us!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we are well aware of the foolishness and stupidity of rejecting You, Your Word and Your ways, for this darkness exists in our sinful hearts. Thanks and praise be to You for bringing us to repentance and into the joyous knowledge of Your redemption. Grant that we always remain with You in the Father’s kingdom, neither capitulating to evil nor taking up self-righteous hypocrisy. Fill us with joy in Your works, Your ways, Your love, and Your wondrously deep thoughts – that we praise and glorify You forever. Amen.