In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
In this very lengthy psalm, 50 verses in all, Psalm 18 depicts God as a warrior, a God of battle. King David celebrates his victory over all of his enemies, especially King Saul and his men. Saul was jealous of David's popularity among the people and considered him a threat. He pursued David and those loyal to him, trying to kill them.
In Christianity we tend to think of God purely in terms of love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. We don't like the unpleasant aspect of God's wrath.
The Apostle Paul says that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against forces of darkness that wage war against the people of God. (Ephesians 6:12) Our weapons are prayer, faith, hope, and the conviction that the love of God is the greatest power in the universe. While we belong to nations that war, our true citizenship is in the kingdom of heaven. Christ, the ruler of our kingdom, also reigns over earthly kingdoms, using their wars, and rulers, and armies to work out His will.
The next time wars and rumors of wars frighten you, remember that Jesus warned us about such times. His advice to us was to take heart, raise our heads, for our redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28) Remember that the Lord your God fights for you who call out to him, who trust and obey Him. God is waging a war on two fronts. It is a war within our own soul against powers of darkness. And it is a war on the streets and the fields of this earth, when the powers of darkness within our souls drive us to madness. God takes the good, the bad, and the ugly of this world and works it out for his good purposes. (Romans 8:28)
In this very lengthy psalm, 50 verses in all, Psalm 18 depicts God as a warrior, a God of battle. King David celebrates his victory over all of his enemies, especially King Saul and his men. Saul was jealous of David's popularity among the people and considered him a threat. He pursued David and those loyal to him, trying to kill them.
In Christianity we tend to think of God purely in terms of love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. We don't like the unpleasant aspect of God's wrath.
The Apostle Paul says that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against forces of darkness that wage war against the people of God. (Ephesians 6:12) Our weapons are prayer, faith, hope, and the conviction that the love of God is the greatest power in the universe. While we belong to nations that war, our true citizenship is in the kingdom of heaven. Christ, the ruler of our kingdom, also reigns over earthly kingdoms, using their wars, and rulers, and armies to work out His will.
The next time wars and rumors of wars frighten you, remember that Jesus warned us about such times. His advice to us was to take heart, raise our heads, for our redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28) Remember that the Lord your God fights for you who call out to him, who trust and obey Him. God is waging a war on two fronts. It is a war within our own soul against powers of darkness. And it is a war on the streets and the fields of this earth, when the powers of darkness within our souls drive us to madness. God takes the good, the bad, and the ugly of this world and works it out for his good purposes. (Romans 8:28)
No comments:
Post a Comment