Day 19 - Psalm 76
Have you ever seen a TV program where someone mistakes someone, decidedly average, for someone quite famous? You know how the script might go ‘hey, aren’t you ‘so and so’, from that film a while ago?’ All while the definitely-not-famous person is trying to shuffle off or continue his or her conversation!
David, the psalmist, definitely knew his God. He knew the accounts of what God had done previously for the Israelites, amazing stories of miracles after miracles. For David, there is no mistaking who God is. In Psalm 76, David is describing God as being famous, throughout Israel (v1). He is all powerful (v3), radiant and incomparable (v4), His presence such that the strongest of men are paralysed by it (v5).
The God that David describes, is the same God today. The one that loves us. He is rightly famous, he is mighty, powerful, He is brighter than the sun. If this God is for us, who can be against us? As Romans 8 v31 puts it, ‘so what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?’ This same passage goes onto to ask an incredible question, which within the context of Psalm 76 is profound; ‘If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?’
This God, our God, is all powerful, yet would hold us in His hand. He would give up everything for us, just so that we would be in His presence. Since there is no comparison, no competition with God, it is as much our wisdom as it is our joy to submit wholly, in everything, to Him.
Think it over / Meditate on:
Consider areas of your life where you might struggle to submit wholly to God. What is stopping you?
Taking this Psalm as a lesson, write out how YOU would describe God, and all that He has done in your life.
Tim
Tim Croxson, Senior Leader