Today’s Devotional Thought:
“Rise up, God, champion your cause! Remember the insults that fools bring against you all day long. Do not forget the clamor of your adversaries, the tumult of your opponents that goes up constantly” (Psalm 74:22-23, CSB).
Take a moment to look at verses 12-17. Look superficially at these verses, and you can see the amazing works that God has done; an Israelite reading these verses could not help but reminisce the parting of the Red Sea. However, there’s something even deeper in these verses.
—The sea (v.13) was a pagan deity that Canaanites worshipped
—Leviathan was a servant of this deity (v.14)
—Even the sun and the moon (v.16) were worshipped by people outside of Israel
But even with the personalization of the sea, sun, and moon in these verses, it doesn’t end well for any of them. God subjects each of them under his mighty power. This is the reason why the psalmist cries out, “Rise up, God!” You have crushed the enemy gods already! Don’t allow your name to be mocked!
In this present crisis, you might wonder where God is right now; is he going to rise up and do something, especially when he is openly mocked by society. Our thoughts and worries are not far off from the psalmist’s mind. He remembers God’s covenant provision in the past, but now it seem that God isn’t working. Even worse, it feels as if his enemies are winning. Waiting has always been a motif throughout the Bible. Even when the Hebrew Scriptures end, they wait 400 years before another prophet comes.
But it’s with this new prophet that the Israelites hear the arrival of their Messiah.
Sometimes it’s hard to get on God’s time table. We are worried and anxious, and we expect God to work according to our schedule. This is no less true when we are mocked, when God is mocked, when adversity comes. Thankfully, we can see that God did rise up to champion his cause. Jesus Christ defeated death at the cross, and with his resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. May we be reminded today that God is not silent, and that he has climatically spoken in His Son. That truth is enough to give us comfort during Covid-19.
Ways to Pray:
May we remember that you have spoken and championed your cause through your Son, Jesus.
Adoration: Lord Jesus, You have crushed the head of the serpent Leviathan.
Confession: May you keep us from insulting you, expecting you to work according to our schedule.
Thanksgiving: Thank you that you have already championed your cause and that you will champion your cause even in the midst of this pandemic.
Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern
Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt