“He who disciplines the nations, does He not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O LORD, and whom You teach out of Your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.” Psalm 94:10-13
Devotional Thought For The Day
It is remarkable that although our thoughts are “but a breath” the Lord still cares. He knows our thoughts, disciplines the nations, rebukes, disciplines us, and teaches us so that we might have rest from our days of trouble until those who are committed to wickedness, evil, and the destruction of others are finally neutralized. Those who immerse themselves in the study of nature and become convinced of its impersonal caprice become convinced that if there even is a “God,” that He must also be completely impersonal and capricious in regard to the personal well-being of people. Those who have suffered grievously from some natural disaster would be the prime examples that prove that God doesn’t really care. Our text, and all of Scripture, assert the contrary, that God does truly care – deeply, personally, and intimately.
Those who know and believe God’s love in Christ Jesus are able to contemplate His very personal and complete love for us. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” [1 John 1:7] All of the sins that we are keenly aware of having committed, even those that are “secret” and hidden from all others, regardless of how grotesque and despicable, were placed precisely upon Jesus and punished at the cross – so that we are redeemed from all sin, and so that God is “faithful and just” to forgive us our sins. [1 John 1:9] If this is so, then we can also grow in grasping how all our hairs are numbered by God [Matt. 10:30] and how God was intimately involved in our being as He “knit” us together in our mother’s womb. [Ps. 139:13] So then it is no surprise to us, and no leap of faith for us to understand how God remains intimately and personally involved in our being, our blessedness, and our protection.
The real difficulty for us comes from the fact that we are not always eager to allow God to teach us real knowledge from His Word, and His discipline is not always pleasant. His discipline is always a blessing but there are many times that we are unappreciative, even rebellious and furious over His discipline. We lose sight of the fact that “God is love,” and that whatever He causes or allows to discipline us is meant to ultimately “give us rest from days of trouble.” We think that we know best what is going to be optimal for our blessedness and become angry when God apparently doesn’t agree with us. It doesn’t matter – He does know better than we do, and He will persist in blessing us, and ultimately we will see this and acknowledge it, in praise to Him. For our rebelliousness we need to humble ourselves in repentance, and wait quietly and patiently for Him, trusting that He is love and is blessing us.
The wicked – the unrepentant, unbelieving, and those committed to ongoing evil – are warned throughout Scripture that it is only a matter of time before they fall into the pit. They too are called to repentance and to God’s forgiveness in Christ Jesus. But for those who persist in incorrigibly rejecting His love there is only self-chosen judgment. May God continue to bless us with willingness to be taught by Him, willingness to hear His Word, with faith and trust in His love, and patience to bear all things knowing that He is always blessing us. It is certain that He cares for each of us, personally and intimately, more than we can care for ourselves. So we leave all things beyond our control in His gracious and loving hands, looking forward to the good that is sure and certain to come to us.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we live in nations that have earned and need Your discipline and rebuke. We also need Your ongoing instruction, and at times Your discipline. We balk at receiving the things that are most blessed for us, and doubt Your goodness and love. Forgive us and renew us so that we persist firmly and confidently in faith and trust in You, regardless of our circumstances. Speed the time when we can rejoice in rest from days of trouble, and also our deliverance from those who seek to harm us. Amen.