Psalm 68:1-4
1 May God arise, may His enemies be scattered,
And may those who hate Him flee from His presence.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before a fire,
So the wicked will perish before God.
3 But the righteous will be joyful; they will rejoice before God;
Yes, they will rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Exalt Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the Lord, and be jubilant before Him.
I don't know how any believer could listen to that song and not be absolutely pumped up. Too many times we forget that God is a God who demands absolute perfection. Many times we get so caught up in grace that we begin to take it for granted. Which is bad enough, but what happens when we start taking that grace for granted for others? How about when we begin taking that grace for granted for unbelievers?
Where does such a thought leave us?
It leaves us at a point of universalism where we assume the salvation of the unsaved because "God is love."
Except it is scriptures like this in the book of Psalm which remind us that God does in fact retain enemies. After all, if God does not have enemies, then who is being driven away like smoke?
The fact is that the New Testament makes clear in many spots that if you are not one of God's redeemed, you remain one of His enemies, I can only imagine that this goes double for those who actively work against His redemptive work on Earth. Which brings me to the point of today's devotional, God WILL be praised, and he WILL scatter his enemies.
So where does that mean to us?
Simple, we are blessed because God, who should see us as his enemies and scatter us to the four winds, has called us sons and daughters and has adopted us into His family despite our rebellion.
Instead of scattering us, He draws us close.
Instead of forcing us to flee from Him, He puts His royal robe upon us and clothes us in Christ's righteousness.
Instead of forcing us to tremble in fear, He offers us the ability to rejoice in Him and His presence.
This is why as the Psalmist says we, "sing to God," "exalt Him," and are "jubilant before Him."
Because His jubilee towards us was completed in Christ, and our sins are no longer held against us and we are no longer enemies of God. We are no longer afraid of God's wrath, we now get to celebrate with Him in His redemption.
How awesome is God for giving that to us, who do not deserve it.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.
Amen.
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