GOD USES US TO TOUCH LIVES FOR HIS SAKE
Psalm 68:1-3
1 God
shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and
those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As
smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as
wax melts before fire,
so
the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But
the righteous shall be glad;
they
shall exult before God;
they
shall be jubilant with joy!
As David begins this psalm of praise and remembrance God’s
goodness to His people, he is expectant of the mighty works that He will continue
to perform, according to His character and promises.
God has always triumphed, has never lost His majestic
control, and will always bring about His eternal purposes. The wicked will
always be eventually defeated! Wax will always melt when in contact with fire.
The wicked have no chance of resisting the unsurpassable power of God. The
righteous will rejoice in due time.
Dear friends, even though you may be facing some extremely
difficult situations, or have some enemies who are oppressing you, God would
never want you to forget that His power is overwhelming for them. When God chooses
to display His power, they will melt away like wax. Our pain and troubles are
very temporary. God cares.
Psalm 68:4-6
4 Sing
to God, sing praises to his name;
lift
up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is
the LORD;
exult
before him!
5 Father
of the fatherless and protector of widows
is
God in his holy habitation.
6 God
settles the solitary in a home;
he
leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but
the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
The children of Israel are invited to praise the Lord. He is
totally aware of what is going on in the most difficult of places. His eyes are
upon those who are suffering. The orphans, the widows, those who are
defenseless, are not forgotten by the LORD. Yes, the God Who created heaven and
earth by His word, who sustains life by His will, is aware and cares deeply for
them. God provides for those who are alone and He frees the prisoners.
God lives in a holy place, His holiness is offended by all
sin, and so the wickedness of man will not go unjudged. God had proven Himself providential
with the children of Israel many times, and would continue to do it. His love
for the abandoned is still true today. In fact, James reminds us of our
responsibilities in this area.
James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before
God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and
to keep oneself unstained from the world.
God expects His own to be pure, to live a life that is pleasing
to Him morally, and to care for those He cares for. There is no special merit
gained by these actions; they need to be the normal consequence of genuine
faith. Faith that comes from hearing the Word of God needs to transform the way
we live. This is exactly what James states in the preceding verses.
James 1:22-25
But
be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone
is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at
his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once
forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law
of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he
will be blessed in his doing.
Our care for the needy should begin in our local churches, where
we can easily be attentive to the needs of our fellow believers.
Galatians 6:9-10
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for
in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the
household of faith.
Dear friends, today divorce has multiplied the number of
those who do not live the reality of a normal, God-planned family. Their needs
might not be always physical, but children are growing up without the care of a
mom and dad. Women, many times, are left to carry a burden that is very great.
God cares for those who are alone, living through this kind
of pain. Would you take the time today to pray for those you know are
struggling through this kind of difficulty? Would you ask God to use you to
encourage them?
Maybe there is a widow or a widower who would be greatly encouraged
by an invitation to a meal, or a card reminding them that you are praying for
them… The list could go on, but I know that as we pray, God will bring to mind
people and ways to help them see the care of the Lord.
This psalm invites us to praise and rejoice in a God Who
cares deeply. May we be more like our God and may our lives portray the
attitudes and produce the works that please God.
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