10/11/2020
We look about the world today and realize that the foes of God are doing more than simply withdrawing from worship, or fading away into their worldliness, they are actively pursuing the destruction of the Church, and every vestige of faith. We see this and fret over what is to come, but this isn’t the first time such a thing has occurred, so how should we, as men and women of faith approach it? We should take our lesson from what has come before, see His victory, and take heart.
“Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs.”
Psalm 74:4 ESV
Our God is great, and Jesus Christ sits at His right hand, prepared to take action, but he will not move forward until God wills it. We watch and wonder why the Lord allows such things to occur, and just as in days of old we begin to lose hope; we do so because we don’t wait well, and as our trust is shaken our faith begins to waiver.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV
Psalm 74 testifies to the fact that God’s Word, and our faith in Him, has come under attack before, and it tells us how we should combat it... we should believe In His might, trust He will act against his enemies (not punishing His chosen), pray that it is soon, and realize that God is our champion... we do not Meant to fight His battles.
“Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.”
Psalm 74:2 ESV
Our God will overcome what is occurring in the world today. Although the wicked will sometimes appear to be winning, they will not overcome He who created them...
“You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.”
Psalm 74:17 ESV
Yet we still grow fearful because we are weak, and we forget the promises, and examples, of His protection. We hear only the rants of the wicked who come against us...
“They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.”
Psalm 74:7-8 ESV
In the midst of evil, we must hold firm to our faith, and remember that we are to wait on Him to salvage all those who answer His knock, He will call yo the lost before we will witness the defeat of those who will refuse to let Him in. His plan is perfect, and His will is always done. Can we wait in full faith?
“Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.”
Psalm 74:21 ESV
Today, as we pray for His salvation in the midst of this chaos, we plead for His intercession, and that according to His mercy and grace, He will deliver us from the sword of our enemy...
“Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever.”
Psalm 74:19 ESV
So today we watch, as around the world our churches, businesses, and homes, are being burned to the ground, and we are tempted to feel abandoned. We witness the martyrdom of our fellow believers, and ask “Why Lord!?” We feel that this is the hour of mankind‘s final destruction, and forget that the faithful have suffered such persecution before, that this is consistent with our Father’s will, and that God, and our faith, will once more rise victorious.
“no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.””
Isaiah 54:17 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the times of worldly chaos that you use to separate the faithful from the sinners. Thank you for the suffering we endure upon the threshing room floor as you thresh the grain from the husk, and bring home the healthy. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God whose patience abounds, and who stands long at our door knocking. Merciful are you who works hard in the harvest so that not a single grain is lost. Praised be your name for every minute we suffer if it means that one more seed falls from the grasp of sin, and into your forgiving hand. Hear our prayers Father, and bolster our strength, and faith, as our enemies come against us, and we await your mighty deliverance. Help us to trust in you as we seek shelter in the midst of sin, and maintain our hope as we watch for your sword to separate us unto you. Your word is true, and your will perfect and good. Keep our hearts fixed on Christ, and washed clean by His redeeming blood. Forgive us Lord as we stand before you in judgement, and welcome us into your house forevermore.
““The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
Deuteronomy 28:7 ESV
Rich Forbes