Daily Devotional for Sunday, September 8

Asaph’s Petition for Divine Help

“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head,” Psalm 83:1, 2.

Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18, 19). You are part of God’s chosen people and because of this, you will have enemies, just as Israel did.

More than once, Israel had been invaded by other countries. Sometimes God showed mercy and delivered them. Sometimes they were taken captive. This psalm is a plea for help and deliverance from a confederated ten nations all together seeking to destroy Israel. These countries were wanting to completely obliterate them from the earth as a nation. Why such hatred for a tiny nation? Other nations did not like that Israel had Jehovah on their side. The hatred that these countries had was against God.

God’s children will suffer persecution sometimes for no other reason than because of the One to whom they belong. Asaph made a plea to God not for Israel’s sake but for God’s sake. Often God shows up to do things for His name’s sake. The Lord had promised to preserve, protect and bless His people, to make them a great nation. With these multiple armies against them, would this promise still be possible? Yes, it would. Psalm 83:17 states, “Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish.” The Lord would save Israel because of who He is. “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Sometimes all may seem at a loss. But God will always show up to declare His power and His glory.

Karry Irizarry