Saturday 1 November, 2014

1 In the land of Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel. 2 His tent is in Jerusalem. The place where he lives is on Mount Zion. 3 There he broke the deadly arrows of his enemies. He broke their shields and swords. He broke their weapons of war. Selah 4 God, you shine like a very bright light. You are more majestic than mountains full of wild animals. 5 Brave soldiers have been robbed of everything they had. Now they lie there, sleeping in death. Not one of them can even lift his hands. 6 God of Jacob, at your command both horse and chariot lie still. 7 People should have respect for you alone. Who can stand in front of you when you are angry? 8 From heaven you handed down your sentence. The land was afraid and became quiet. 9 God, that happened when you rose up to judge. It happened when you came to save all of your suffering people in the land. Selah 10 Your anger against sinners brings you praise. Those who live through your anger gather to worship you. 11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them. Let all of the neighboring nations bring gifts to the One who should be respected. 12 He breaks the proud spirit of rulers. The kings of the earth have respect for him.

There is so much on the news to cause people to fear; war, political instability, disease and natural disasters…. Yet we serve a God who is far more powerful than the strongest human-built weapon, a God who causes the earth to fear, a God whose strategy to unleash hope and life is truly unstoppable, a God who is greater than any leader and who halts opposition with a rebuke.

Lord, help me make your name and your greatness known in the places that I go. May people see that you are the one who enables and empowers us to act in the face of difficulty, to bring hope and practical solutions. Help me to focus on what I can do and to take steps of faith, trusting in you to do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine. Amen.

Written by Beth Waugh