PREYING

We can either prey on our nations’ leaders or we can pray for them.  Preying makes us feel better—praying makes them (and the nations) better.  Consider Romans 13:1-7:

[1] Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
[2] Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
[3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
[4] For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
[5] Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
[6] For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
[7] Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

God has a history of turning His children over to others, in order that they might endure correction that betters them, and there is nothing in either Old or New Testament to indicate He’s changed his methodology for teaching. 

Peace will abound when the Messiah returns, but until then, the only way to experience inward peace midst outer instability is to subject one’s self to the direction provided in His Word.
b(Les)sings

<< Psalm 72 >>
King James Version 
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1<<A Psalm for Solomon.>> Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
3The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
4He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
12For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
13He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
14He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
15And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
16There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
19And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
20The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

THE BODYGUARD

The righteous say there is a God and the wicked say that there is not.  Have you ever wondered why that is?  I think it’s because both groups define their respective positions by “approval.”

The sinner wants the judgment of God to be non-existent because then he/she does not have to be held accountable for his/her actions.  These are the people that look for fault in believers so that they can say, “See, it’s all phony”, further attempting to make the case for their own inexcusable behavior. Unfortunately, to their peril, they misunderstand the concept of Christian forgiveness. 

This side of heaven, all are imperfect, while (on this side of heaven) the righteous are righteous--positionally.    The upright believe in the reality of their God, knowing therefore that they’ve made a good choice in pleasing Another rather than self.  They experience consternation in feeling sad for those they were once like, and grieve that, to this point, the wicked have not yet changed. 

The grief experienced by non-believers is much more subliminal.  It is an unconscious warring between what they know to be right—what their spirit longs for—and the hedonism they know to be wrong.

Such people are sometimes referred to as oppressors.

Oppressors do not think they are doing bad when they are doing their bad things.  They just see themselves as more or less successful in their efforts as those of their peers.  It is maddening to the upright, but the aggravation is replaced with joy when they see the Lord’s vengeance exacted.  It’s not that the righteous have peace about vengeance, but that the One they love has been shown to others as the victor over evil.

In the 14^th Psalm (verse 6), David points out that the Lord is a safe place to run for those that are under attack from the enemy.  It brings the movie, “My Bodyguard” to remembrance.

In this film, the main character is being picked on by a school bully.  The picked-on hires a bodyguard to intimidate his intimidator, which works fine until that intimidator hires his own bodyguard to beat up on the one that gave him grief.  In the end, the good guy’s bodyguard wins, along the lines of Psalm 78:65—66 from the NKJV:

      Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
         Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
     And He beat back His enemies;
         He put them to a perpetual reproach

In other words, God spanked them.

For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights. (Prov. 3:12—NKJV)—and remember that loving correction ultimately brings peace.

b(Les)sings

IN GOD WE TRUST

Trust.  It’s the best place to start in a relationship.  It is true for people, and it’s even more true for God—not that He needs to trust us, but us Him.  Psalm 118:8 says it most succinctly:  “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man”—KJV.  Verse 9 continues that it’s even better to trust the Lord over those He establishes in authority over us (Rom. 13:1).Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us that we’re to trust Him with all our heart, and not lean upon our own understanding—that we should acknowledge God in all we do, and He will direct our paths. 

Have you ever been through one of those huge mazes?  They have someone watching over things from above, to help direct those that may have lost their way.  That’s God.  As we travel the maze that is our life, we can trust One whose vantage point is higher than ours because He sees the things we don’t, and can direct our steps accordingly.  David begins Psalm 7 discussing his trust in the Lord—therein is true peace.

One of the two businesses we owned in New Hampshire years ago was an arcade, located inside a major mall.  Unfortunately it was about 90 miles south of our other business, and management in absentia allowed for those with evil intent to flourish.  One incident in particular involved a youth that I’d caught stealing money from us.  I told him he was fired, and he pled for his job back—he was really, “sorry”. I thought long and hard about it and finally acquiesced.  “Ok”, I said, “just give me back the $40 you stole.”  “What?” he asked, shocked, “I thought you said I could get my job back.”  “I did,” I responded, “But that doesn’t negate your responsibility.”  He decided being fired was better than working.  This was a youth who, unlike the psalmist, was unwilling to take responsibility for his actions.  Even though he maintained a sense of innocence, David was still willing to be subjected to correction if his deeds were found to be evil.  That’s peace on two levels—that he was not wrong, and that even if he was, he was confident that God’s correction would be loving and beneficial.

The psalmist seeks the Lord’s intervention against their mutual enemies, assured that He’s fully capable of delivering it.  He is trusting God to make the best decision on his (David’s) behalf, and we can trust Him for such decisions in our lives as well.

Road rage is just one modern day example of an aggressor positioning himself on life’s throne, so that he may execute vengeance on another, yet there is peace in allowing God to do the work in your stead (Romans 12:19—“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”—KJV).

Do you want real peace?  It’s available to all those that choose for God to sit upon the throne of their lives, rather than themselves.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 7

1 O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

2Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

3O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;

4If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)

5Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

6Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.

7So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

8The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

9Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

10My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

11God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

13He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

14Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

15He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

16His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

17I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

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