Thou Art My God! Chapter 63
I have to say, I read this about two or three times, just soaking it up before I could even begin to write. I can almost feel David’s heart as the Psalm opens with, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
And isn’t that what it feels like lately? Like a parched land with no water? We can’t assemble in the House of God right now, which brings me to the second verse: “To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” AMEN!
But, as the Psalmist says, His lovingkindness is better than life, and my lips SHALL praise Him! Glory to God, I will lift my hands in thy name!
Why Does It Seem So Hard?
I remember a time when praising God in my home… lifting my hands in prayer or talking with Him as I walked through my house… that used to be hard. It didn’t feel… I don’t know “natural”? I don’t know what makes us feel that way. Oh, wait! Yes, I do! It’s the enemy of our souls, that would like nothing more than to sever that connection—that personal connection with the One True God!
We know that the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. And look at what he’s doing now. But can I tell you that he isn’t just messing with the general populous anymore? He’s messing with the King’s children. Ambassadors in bonds, we are.
Shake off any weight that besets you! Praise God with your lips, as the Psalmist did! Lift your hands in His Name! Praise Him with joyful lips, and meditate on Him in the night!
Remember What He’s Done
Even from the wilderness of Judah, David remembered God’s goodness. He wasn’t at home in his comfort zone. He wasn’t yet enthroned (or so scholars believe). But praise God, there was no wilderness in his heart! He remained joyful, praising, and worshiping God with his lips and lifting his hands!
And you know what? In those ancient Hebrew times, lifted hands were not common while praying. This was a designated stance of praise! It showed a complete surrender to God as well as the anticipation of receiving!
That’s important!
Do we believe His Word? Do we believe that He will do what He said He would do? And if we do believe it, where is the evidence? That we sit and lament our situation? David didn’t! And he was being hunted by a jealous king with murder in his heart for the young man anointed by God to be king in his place!
Listen, brothers and sisters, if we trust Him for salvation, then we have no choice but to trust Him for every single thing beyond that as well. If we can have the peace of mind that our eternity is wrapped up in His finished work, why not everything else?
We Are Victors
In the last three verses of this Psalm, David speaks to the fact that those who seek to destroy shall go into the lower parts of the earth. And again, that those who speak lies shall be stopped!
There are other verses in Scripture to that effect as well. Read with me!
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Romans 16:20 KJV
For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is expected, which did put all things under him.
1 Corinthians 15:27 KJV
I think that one of our prayers should be that lying tongues should cease this very day, in the mighty Name of Jesus! That all names, as the Word says, are beneath THAT NAME, Jesus!
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Ephesians 1:19-21, KJV
Hear My Voice, O God: Chapter 64
Again, this Psalm brings me more peace than I can express in words. The very first verse is a cry from God’s people in perilous times! “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”
Can I get an amen? The good news is, as children of God, we no longer even have the spirit of fear:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7, KJV
And again…
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Romans 8:15, KJV
Praise the Name of Jesus, we are hidden from the counsel of the wicked. Even those who do not understand what they are doing. Because, we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), but against principalities and powers (which the Name of Jesus is also above, as you can see in the Scripture above), the rulers of darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Insurrection of the Workers
There will be those who will rise up, verse two tells us, in an insurrection. Simply stated, that means they will rise up violently against authority. And in this case, that authority is God’s authority. They will secretly shoot arrows and set traps, thinking they will not be found out.
The problem here is the fact that these enemies are shooting in secret like a sniper. Many of us, like David, could take a battle that we see coming. We could determine our chances, wager the odds, and step forward in battle. But a sniper is another situation altogether! How can we fight something if we cannot see it coming?
BUT GOD!
But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
Psalm 64:7, KJV
Did you catch that? God will shoot them! Praise God, our work is to pray and praise and worship and BELIEVE!
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6:29, KJV
So, if the “work of God” is to “believe” on the One He sent… Who is that? The answer is Jesus!
In His Word are precious promises that we, if we are to truly be about God’s word, are to BELIEVE. David says that the wicked will flee away, but the righteous “shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him;” (vs. 10).
Suddenly!
When God shoots, the wounds will be sudden, or so David says here. We could wager that he’s seen it before. Oh, but we know that he has! When God overtakes the wicked in their iniquity, it is often without the benefit of a warning. This reminds me that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31).
With the whole world in complete chaos, we can choose to bear offense, argue, judge, demean, and slander. OR… we can choose to pray, praise, worship, believe, encourage, comfort, and resist the devil. We can choose to rest beneath the shelter of His Wings. We can choose to run into His high tower and find ourselves safe from the ensuing onslaught.
And let’s not forget to repent!
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV
I wonder what would happen if we, as a nation… no, better yet, as a WORLD, took our God at His Word?
What an amazing couple of chapters these have been! Did you read them along with me? Did you feel the twinge of correlation between what we are going through in these days versus what David was going through in his? What are your thoughts on God’s judgment and wrath on the wicked?
Lord Jesus, in Your Name we ask Your mercy on this nation and on this world as a whole! I ask, Father, in the mighty Name of Jesus, that You would cause the scales to fall from people’s eyes and let them see and hear and come to know You for exactly Who You are! Father, make us a light in a world that grows darker every day! And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil! Lord, hear our repentant hearts and teach us to move forward, only as You provide guidance for the path ahead. And I ask it all in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
I am so very grateful that amidst your busy life, you share in the Blogging Through the Bible endeavor! Your writing is a blessing to us all. I giggled as I read this, marveling at how naturally the words rolled, in contrast to the introvert you are if not talking Bible based! I love you Stacey Lynn Wells my sister. I agree this current CVD-19 is from the enemy, and repentance and worship are appropriate responses from those who know the Father, and yes may out lights shine from Him for the world…
Oh Tammy, this comment just BLESSES me so much today! Thank you for such kind words. You have no idea how much they mean to me <3 It's true, lol, that I do not speak much, so cover me in prayer. I have a feeling introversion can sometimes be of the enemy as well! I often wish I was a "people person" lol. I love you too, and I am SO BLESSED that one day you decided to ask me to join in a group that would change my life!