HOW SHOULD I REACT TO THE POLITICAL SCENE TODAY?

THINK BEFORE YOU GRUMBLE:

Psalm 58:1-2

Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?

Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;

your hands deal out violence on earth. 

Do you live in a country where those who rule are unjust? Israel did! I am sure that you don’t have to reflect too long to rehearse many things that our government does wrong.

But we should not be surprised about that reality, for we live in a corrupt world, where men live in sin, and the leaders, in the best of cases, try to follow justice that is merely human. In fact, they rebel at the definition of sin that God gives. They rebel against any notion of the wickedness of man and his inability to do good.

Man is selfish and self-centered, tending to look after his own interests. This is the world we live in. We are surrounded by people who are looking for their own comfort and self-established rights.

Psalm 58:3-5

The wicked are estranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

They have venom like the venom of a serpent,

like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

so that it does not hear the voice of charmers

or of the cunning enchanter. 

David’s assessment is quite graphic, but it reflects the way that God sees the actions of man. How unwise we are, when we expect the world we live in to be any different. Actually, we should be grateful to God when it’s not as bad as it could be! It is also true that our complaining does not bring any positive results. Instead, it exposes our unrealistic desires, and possibly, an attachment to this world that God does not want us to have.

Psalm 58:6-9

O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.

Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,

like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.

Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,

whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! 

The fact that wicked rulers are a reality does not mean that God’s people should approve them or fail to ask God to intervene. As believers, we are responsible to vote with wisdom, when God gives us the opportunity. And we are to pray for our rulers.

1 Timothy 2:1-6

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 

This prayer is not driven by a desire for personal comfort or wealth, but by a desire to live in a situation where the Gospel may progress. The Gospel is so important because it is unique and exclusive. It is the only way by which man can be saved, and there are no alternatives.

All too often, our frustration with our government is not driven by eternal purposes, but by our own desires. When we see things that bother us, our first question should be if God is using it to promote His kingdom. And the next one should be how we can align ourselves with His eternal purposes.

Psalm 58:10-11

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;

he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

surely there is a God who judges on earth.” 

David knew that God would triumph; he knew that he could rest in the promises of God.

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.

The Bible is clear: we must do good, and we should not tire of it, in spite of opposition. We should have our eyes open to opportunities to take care of our fellow believers. We should be thankful when God gives us an opportunity to help someone, and should not look to the government to take care of our fellow believers. We have that privilege.

Even when we work and earn salaries, our goal should never be to just take care of ourselves.

Ephesians 4:28

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 

God is in control! He is the One Who provides, and He expects us to use His provision for Gospel purposes. May God help us to learn to depend on Him more and more.

CAN MEDICINE EVER TASTE GOOD?

WHAT WILL DRIVE YOU TODAY?

READ PSALM 57 

Psalm 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth! 

What will drive our attitudes today, our circumstances, or our God? God’s glory is visible today! His power and His glory are displayed in nature.

Romans 1:20

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

Paul realized that, as a slave of Christ, he had the privilege of declaring the glorious gospel message.

Ephesians 3:8-10

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 

It is God’s plan that the reality of His glory in Christ would be made manifest through believers.

David’s desire was that, even the darkest moments of his life, God’s glory would be displayed and proclaimed. Are these thoughts driving our own desires, reactions, and goals?

Psalm 57:6

They set a net for my steps;

my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 

David knew that ultimately his enemies would stumble, their devices would be exposed, and God would vindicate him. He was willing to wait upon the Lord’s perfect timing.

Psalm 57:7-10

My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds. 

The word ‘steadfast’ is repeated three times here, two times related to David and once to God. But what does it mean?  “Very devoted or loyal to a person, belief, or a cause: not changing”, according to a dictionary. David had steadfast faith in the goodness and greatness of God. Even in the darkest of times, when he feared for his life, he never doubted his God.

David’s resolve was displayed in his gratefulness and praise. His praise began in the morning, before all else. He rehearsed the faithfulness of God early, before the distractions and challenges of the day.

Starting the day with God is not an option for those who desire to keep their hearts and minds in check. The days we live in are evil, and we are prone, by human nature, to allow our carnal desires to drive us to ingratitude and complaints. Instead, we must begin our days reflecting on the Lord and His purposes.

As I went to bed last night and prayed, my thoughts went to so many things that are overwhelming me. This morning, as I watch the sunrise and rehearse the goodness of God, I am overcome with gratitude. I desire to live this day, aware of God’s steadfast love for me.

My mom used to tell me a story of when she worked in an orphanage: During the winter, when the children would be prone to get sick, they used to get all the kids up so the director, an elderly lady, could give a spoonful of cod oil to each child. It did not taste good, but it was good for them. To make sure that the children swallowed the “evil potion”, they had to say “Thank you”, once it had been poured into their mouths. It is impossible to do that with a mouth full of liquid, so down it went!

Sometimes, when we forget to rehearse the character and goodness of God, being thankful through our circumstances seems to be an exercise like the one of those little orphans in Florence, Italy. Dear friends, whatever God gives us, is always for our good: it exposes our idols, it unmasks our sin, and it should always drive us into the arms of our great God.

Psalm 57:11

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth! 

This is the way David ends his psalm. What will drive your heart today?

IS GOD REALLY MERCIFUL?

WHAT IS DRIVING YOUR ACTIONS AND REACTIONS?

READ PSALM 57

Psalm 57:1

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by. 

Is God really merciful? Does God show mercy? Are these generic truths, or is this a dependable characteristic of God? Does God show partiality in His mercy? As men, are we capable of evaluating God’s mercy? Are we aware enough of what is going on around us to really even notice the mercy of God? Do we really know what is best for us? Do we really understand what we deserve? Can we minimally grasp the gap between us and God? Do we have any understanding of the eternal purposes of God? Do we comprehend the immensity of the miracle of salvation? Do we cherish the privilege of being ambassadors for the Most High God?

I know that I easily become very myopic. All I can and, too often, want to see is myself. I am driven by my wants and my desire for control. I want people to see my value and praise me, or at least not criticize me. I can so easily feel sorry for myself, compare myself to others, and stir up the most elaborate pity-party within my soul. When I welcome others to this pity-party and they don’t readily come to join me, then I am disappointed and even see them as now being against me. I can easily do the same with God.

We are driven into this black hole in our marriages, our jobs, our relationships, our churches. Our life can easily become a roller coaster of joys and sorrow. We become guarded in our relationships, defensive in our attitudes, and even fearful in our service.

I trust that this is not where you are today! I thank God if you are not, but I am sure you know someone who is there. Where can one find real hope? Where can one find solace? Where can one find healing?

In this psalm, even though David is going through a very difficult time, he goes to God to find mercy. What does he know about God that sustains him?

Psalm 57:2

I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 

David has embraced at least two things about God: he knows who the Lord is and he knows that God has purposes that are being fulfilled in him. David has great trust in the character of God. He is truly the Most High, His power is without rival, His love is perfect, His wisdom is beyond comprehension. God has meticulous plans for him, which have been perfectly planned from eternity past, unchangeable. He is, and always will be, in perfect control.

Pain and enemies are real. We live in a fallen world, where even those whom we hope would never hurt us probably will, not once but many times. Crying out to God is driven by real pain and real awareness of evil. But God is never our enemy, He never has evil intentions. His purposes are always perfectly loving and perfectly planned out.

Even if we are bearing the consequences of our past sin, still God has loving purposes for us. He is active in showing His immense love to us. He is drawing us into His arms; He is transforming us into the image of His Son. His work of transformation in every believer is particular and continuous. We should not look to escape it, but we should eagerly embrace it.

Psalm 57:3

He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 

David knew that God was his protection, that He would know what to do with his enemies in due time. In the meantime, he knew he was perfectly loved and that God was faithful.

Isaiah 53:10a

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

Another version translates this as ‘it pleased God to crush Him’. God’s will was to crush Christ in order to provide salvation for you and me. His eternal purposes pleased Him, even though They had to go through the agony of the cross. The author of Hebrews reminds us that for the joy that was set before Him, Christ endured the cross. The desired end was what drove the Father to plan the Cross and the Son to submit to it.

We need to be driven by the purposes of God and we need to desire them at all cost. When we do, we will never live as sad victims, but as joyful slaves, who have been redeemed by our Master. David allowed the truth to drive his attitude.

Be encouraged today! May those who see you have a glimpse of your Savior. May your words of trust in Him cause others to glorify your Father in heaven.