Tuesday, December 24
Read Psalm 83-84
Think About It:
- Psalm 83 is a three-thousand-year-old prophetic Psalm nearing fulfillment. In Psalm 83, Judah is surrounded by pagan nations. The Psalmist prays that God blows them away like chaff until they recognize the LORD is above all rulers of the earth. In our anger toward those who refuse to acknowledge God and serve Him, may our first prayer for them be that they seek God. His Word says mercy triumphs over judgement. But we also know there are powers at work to destroy His Church and we are here to pray against those, to defeat any attempts of God’s enemies. We pray that God will be glorified, and the gates of hell will not prevail against the Body of Christ. Sometimes we must be humbled by adversity before we look up and see the LORD; we often must be defeated before we can have ultimate victory. Pray for the people you know right now who do not yet know the LORD and ask that He will cause them to seek Him.
- Psalm 84 speaks of the desire in every believer’s heart to be close to God, to dwell in His Presence. In Psalms, the writers spoke of a temple to visit, but we on the other side of Calvary have the privilege of hosting His Presence everywhere we go with His Spirit dwelling within us. Obeying God is stewarding His Presence. The closer we get to obeying His Word to become the Godly vessel He created us to be, the more He works His holiness into us and allows His manifest Presence to settle upon us, affecting us and those around us for His glory. That’s how you experience His peace in the midst of difficult times, keeping your focus on Him, “going from strength to strength” (verse 7). Meditate on verse 11 and give Him thanks for “bestowing favor and honor” and “not withholding any good thing from those whose walk is blameless”. We are made righteous in Jesus because of Calvary. That is reason to give thanks!
Family Time:
Psalm 83
- What did the psalmist want God to make his enemies like? (verses 13-14)
- What did the psalmist want God’s enemies to know? (verse 18)
Psalm 84
- Who is blessed? (verses 4, 5, 12)
- What would the psalmist rather do than dwell in the tents of the wicked? (verse 10)
- What does God withhold from them that walk uprightly? (verse 11)
