Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 75
I am so glad that this Psalm of thanksgiving follows Psalms 74. As God brings us through the hard times, we come out the other side with thanksgiving and praise for His power and deliverance. All this happens not necessarily because the Lord has changed the situation, or even yet as defeated the enemy. But thanksgiving comes when our faith is lifted and restored to believe that God in His time will bring justice and salvation. I pray sometimes in the midst of the worst struggles not knowing how God is going to answer, but trusting that He will answer in the time and way that is best. Do we really trust God to act justly in His timely manner?(vs.2-3) God is a Righteous Judge and only He can bring true justice and peace.
In verses 4-8 we find the warning to the wicked. There is a warning for the boasting and pride that brings our downfall. The description is of the lifting of their horns in confident strutting like a bull elk, and the stretching of their neck to bugle their supremacy over all the other bulls. Just remember that God is the final Judge, and He is the One who lifts you up and brings you down (vs. 7). The cup of God’s judgment is described as a strong drink that we must drink down even as it burns. Not just a sip, but drinking the whole thing (vs.8) down to the last drop and the worm at the bottom. I think sometimes we forget that it is a terrible thing to find ourselves in the hands of an angry God. Praise the Lord, because of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His blood, we can find forgiveness and know that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ!(Rom. 8:1)
Our answer is that we will praise the Lord and give thanks that when we humble ourselves before Him, He will lift us up. 1 Peter 5:6-7, 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7
casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.(NAS) Don’t forget to thank Him and praise Him in the hard times, this keeps us humbly looking to Him in faith and trust that in due time, He will lift us up, and in the mean time we can cast our cares on Him knowing that He cares for me!
Father, it is easy to thank you and praise you in the good times, but it takes Your Spirit’s control of my heart and mind to give You thanks in anticipation of Your power in the hard times. May I never forget that You are the Righteous Judge, and You will bring down the proud and lift up the humble. Help me to humble myself before You in praise, adoration, and thanksgiving, knowing that You will lift me up as I cast my cares on You. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob
Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 76
It seems that every few generations, we need to be reminded or the Greatness of God and the way He takes care of His people and brings devastation on their enemies. One of the fears I have in the world today is the lack of remembering the history of the great wars of the last 160 years. From the Civil War to the World Wars, to the wars in the Middle East, we should have learned our dependency on the Lord. When we ignore what God has done in the past, we are doomed to repeat the process and pain in the future. If you study the great battles of history, you soon learn that they were won not because of military might, but because God brought mistakes of generals, storms, and fears into play. Our dependency to trust in the Lord to fight for us, and the respect and fear of the enemy of our God’s power in the past what decides the victory that is ours in Christ. Because of His Great Name and His tent of presence in Zion, God’s people were protected and feared by their enemies.(vs. 1-2)
In verses 3-9, we have the description of all the things that God has done to protect His people and the calamity that came on those who fought against them. Arrows, shields and swords broken, wheels falling off chariots, valiant warriors like Goliath, killed God’s guidance of the stone from David’s sling. When the Children of Israel came to the Promised Land, the Canaanites nations were trembling in fear of the God of Israel which gave the Israelite armies the winning edge as God fought for them and with them. Verse 7 says it all: “You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?”(NIV) In the past God rose up to defend the afflicted and judge the wicked and He will do it again.
Our call is to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day! Do you know the One you have believed in and trust Him to keep us and our commitment to Him until He calls us home.(2 Tim. 1:12) We need to keep on keeping our vows and commitments that we have made to the Lord so that the world can see our Great God and learn to fear Him. It is not by might our by power but by His Spirit we have victory!(Zech. 4:6) He is the one that breaks the spirits of the rulers of this world and brings protection and victory for His people.
Father, I have forgotten that wisdom is not the only thing that starts with the fear of the Lord, we also are dependent on You to bring the heart and power of the enemy by trusting in Your protective power. Help me to walk faithfully in the fear of the Lord, keeping my commitments to You and allowing You to reveal Yourself to the world as You fight on my behalf. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob
Hobart Herd Devotionals – Psalms 77
We have all been in Asaph’s shoes. He was so concerned about the state of his people and their relationship with God that he could not sleep. He prayed and cried out to God day and night and night and day. He would remember God and worried about what God might do to straighten things out and then worry some more about how he was going to make it through that dilemma. He couldn’t close his eyes to sleep, and he was so distraught that he couldn’t speak.(vs. 1-3) He remembered the God of their history and mused and fretted. It got so bad that he thought maybe God had changed: 7 “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah(NIV)
Sometimes things get so hard and so bad that we begin to think like this. We are so concerned about our nation, community, family, and friends that we can’t sleep and so we pray. Then when God doesn’t seem to answer our prayers, we wonder if maybe He doesn’t hear our prayer; or maybe He has changed His mind about being a God of lovingkindness, mercy and grace. We begin to doubt that He cares for me and really knows the situation I am in. We doubt that He has the situation under control or has our best interest in mind. If we are honest, we have to admit that we have been there at some point in our relationship with God. So how do we change our heart and mind to faith in the One True Living God!
In verses 10-20 23 see what Asaph did to allow God to change his outlook on life. Asaph began to appeal to the years of loving relationship with God. He began to Count His Blessings! “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count you many blessings name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Are you ever burdened with a load of car? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count you many blessings every doubt will fly, and you will be singing as the days go by. So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged God is over all; Count your many blessings angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. Count your blessings name them one by one; Count your many blessings see what God hath done.”
This is exactly what we need to do in order to change our hearts and minds to look to the God we know Who will fight on our behalf. Psalms 77:13-15, 13 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah(NIV) Talk about a change in perspective and a change of heart! I have never looked at the Red Sea and thought what it must have been like as a Sea to look at God coming to open a path for the Israelites to walk through on dry ground. Verses 16-20 describe things from the Seas point of view as it watched their God and Creator come to do a miracle through them. Sometimes we think our problems are to big, but really our God is to big for our problems. He is in control and will lead us through each and every difficulty until He calls us home.
Father, Change my heart. I look around me and my heart becomes so burdened and discouraged that I can’t sleep or concentrate. Focus my heart and my eyes on You so that I see the problem through Your eyes. Help me to count my blessings as I remember all You have done for me. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob