Struggle of Ideas
Psalms 79:5–13
“How long, LORD? Will You be angry forever? How long will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name; for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland. Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations that You avenge the outpoured blood of Your servants. May the groans of the prisoners come before You; with Your strong arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the contempt they have hurled at You, LORD. Then we Your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise You forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim Your praise.”
Father forgive our sins and thank You for providing the way the truth and the life (John 14:6) in Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Many times, we feel the pressure to submit to belief systems in power in the name of “respect”, “tolerance”, and “equality”, subtly and often brazenly governments and some people tell us what to do and believe, and the exploration of truth becomes an exercise in power, it seems all political in halls of legislature, courts, and the academe. The battles alluded to in this Psalm seem to me to apply nowadays in the countries generally at peace is a struggle of ideas. Of course, we have Christian sisters and brothers across the globe today suffering in the hands of actual subjugation in the same literal way as in the Psalms and we do not minimise their battles and we cry out together for God to take over! Insults also hurt when God is held in cultural contempt. That Christians in the past may have been complacent or may have been faithless, “do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need (v. 8).” Holy Spirit we need you to dismantle pagan influences and deceptions of the Enemy (II Cor 10:5) and liberate people from chains of unbelief and even contempt of the One True God. Save them O LORD! For they that do not see Your message, nor comprehend Your glory are perishing (II Cor 4:3). Cleanse us all of our idols and may we worship You alone. Clearly many are deceived, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortals and birds and animals and reptiles (Rom 1:19–23).” Holy Spirit, God You are the only spirit we trust, You are truth, and by Your power we overcome, You who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, You who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies, the power to transform hearts and minds, and influence others for Your glory (~Rom 8:11). God You reign over all.
“How long, LORD? Will You be angry forever? How long will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name; for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland. Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations that You avenge the outpoured blood of Your servants. May the groans of the prisoners come before You; with Your strong arm preserve those condemned to die. Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the contempt they have hurled at You, LORD. Then we Your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise You forever; from generation to generation we will proclaim Your praise.”
Father forgive our sins and thank You for providing the way the truth and the life (John 14:6) in Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Many times, we feel the pressure to submit to belief systems in power in the name of “respect”, “tolerance”, and “equality”, subtly and often brazenly governments and some people tell us what to do and believe, and the exploration of truth becomes an exercise in power, it seems all political in halls of legislature, courts, and the academe. The battles alluded to in this Psalm seem to me to apply nowadays in the countries generally at peace is a struggle of ideas. Of course, we have Christian sisters and brothers across the globe today suffering in the hands of actual subjugation in the same literal way as in the Psalms and we do not minimise their battles and we cry out together for God to take over! Insults also hurt when God is held in cultural contempt. That Christians in the past may have been complacent or may have been faithless, “do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need (v. 8).” Holy Spirit we need you to dismantle pagan influences and deceptions of the Enemy (II Cor 10:5) and liberate people from chains of unbelief and even contempt of the One True God. Save them O LORD! For they that do not see Your message, nor comprehend Your glory are perishing (II Cor 4:3). Cleanse us all of our idols and may we worship You alone. Clearly many are deceived, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortals and birds and animals and reptiles (Rom 1:19–23).” Holy Spirit, God You are the only spirit we trust, You are truth, and by Your power we overcome, You who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, You who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies, the power to transform hearts and minds, and influence others for Your glory (~Rom 8:11). God You reign over all.
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