6At your rebuke, God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still.
7It is you alone who are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? - P92
8From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet—
9when you, God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land.
10Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.
11Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.
- P93
We live in tumultuous times. Wars, together with the pursuit of wealth and power, are wreaking havoc around this world. The "afflicted of the land" (v. 9), of whom there are many, are crushed under the weight of it all. But a day is coming when the weapons of war will be broken, and those who wield them will be silenced. - P94
Despite the chaos of our world, we can know for sure that the almighty God will one day execute His righteous judgment. The afflicted will be saved, and those who oppress them will be judged. - P94
These things are so certain that the psalmist writes in the past tense, as if they have already taken place. Because God always keeps His word, the justice He promises is as good as done. - P94
The problems in our lives and world often appear insurmountable. Even themost godly and gifted leaders among us seem powerless against them. NotGod! - P94
Humanity may not have the answers or strength to fix a worldmad, but God does. For this reason, He is to be praised. God‘s wrath againstinjustice is cause for celebration. - P94
We rejoice in that coming day when theAlmighty will still the raging seas of our violent world. In the meantime, the psalmist urges us to make vows and bring gifts to our Lord. - P94
In otherwords, to align our lives with His will and His ways. As we do so, we gainan eternal perspective and a renewed hope for the trials we face. - P94
"Bad news may come, but we won‘t fear because of who God is, not because of whatwe can control."-Courtney Reissig - P94
Jesus, in times of trouble and chaos, may I keep the eyes of my heart fixed on You. There is nothing in this world that can keep me from Your love and grace. Align my heart and thoughts to Your ways. In Your name, amen. - P95
5Throughout my Christian walk, I have always viewed God as a gentle Shep-herd, forgiving and kind. Though this is true, it is not the full picture ofthe God we serve. Today‘s passage is a poignant reminder that God is nei-ther weak nor passive. On the contrary, He is powerful and just, a mightywarrior with no rival. What great comfort this brings! We will face manybattles in our lifetime and we must remember that it is the Lord who fightson our behalf. Exodus 14:14 states, "The LORD will fight for you; youonly to be still." - P95
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