#DailyDevotion Recall The LORD’s Past Deeds To Know His Heart
Psalm 68 5In His holy dwelling God is the Father of the fatherless and the Defender of widows. 6God gives the lonely a home to live in; He releases prisoners, making them happy. But the rebellious must live in a parched land.
God has always had a place in His heart for the orphan and the widow. Their care is a consistent theme in the Old and New Testaments. He is their Father and Defender. As such, He expects His holy people to carry out His heart’s desire for their welfare. We are the agents and angels of God for being their father and defender.When we read prisoners, we read criminals incarcerated. The prisoners here are more likely those in debt or those caught in war. These are the prisoners we are called to release and to make happy. God has a special place in His heart for these people. As such, we as His people must have the same concern. While God has this concern for these people, those who rebel against Him and His laws, they shall live in a parched land. They are not in His heart.
7O God, when You went out in front of Your people and marched through the desert, 8the earth quaked and the sky poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9You poured out plenty of rain, O God; and when Your land was exhausted, You refreshed it. 10Your living family settled there; being kind, God, You provided for the poor.
David picks up the theme of the Exodus again. He led His people through the wilderness with a pillar of fire and smoke. He provided water, manna and quail for their sustenance. The earth quaked when He came upon Mt. Sinai to give His people His covenant. The translation “living family,” is more of an interpretation than a translation. It’s literally, “your living ones.” Many translations have living creatures, living flock. God’s people are certainly His flock. As they are His people they are living unlike the vast nations that are dead. He indeed settled them in the land and provided for them. In similar fashion, we who have the Holy Spirit are also His living family as we have the life of Christ dwelling in us bringing us to the Holy Land, the New Heavens and New Earth.
11The Lord uttered the word; a big crowd of women told the good news. 12The kings and their armies fled; they fled and the woman staying home got her share of the spoil. 13Even if you lie down among the sheepfolds, you are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, its feathers with yellow gold. 14Meanwhile the Almighty was still scattering kings there, like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.
The women of Israel sang songs of the mighty deeds of the God of Israel. Israel’s enemies were struck in fear of them and fled before them. They gathered up the spoils of Israel’s armies who went with the LORD into battle. While guarding and protecting His people, He also was scattering their enemies before them. Such will be the case on the Last Day when our LORD Jesus Christ returns. The nations will scatter and hide under rocks, hills and mountains while we sing the praise of our LORD Jesus Christ. Even now, when we sing our praises of His glorious works, fear is struck in their hearts. They may lash out at us but know it is done in fear. We should not fear them when they act like this. Let them cower before God and repent of their wickedness so they do not experience His wrath. Let them turn and join us even as we repented and turned to the LORD Jesus Christ for salvation. There is always room for them. We should not fear the world or its threats or its actions. Jesus is with us always with us. He neither leaves us or forsakes us. He promises to be with us until the end of the ages.
Heavenly Father, as we look upon the threats of the world today, help us to remember the victories you have given Israel in the past so we may not fear but rejoice in the victory Jesus has given us over sin, death and the devil. Help us to be your agents in this world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.