Let God rise up and scatter his enemies; let those who hate him run away from him.
Blow them away as smoke is driven away by the wind. As wax melts before a fire, let the wicked be destroyed before God.
But those who do right should be glad and should rejoice before God; they should be happy and glad.
Sing to God; sing praises to his name. Prepare the way for him who rides through the desert, whose name is the Lord. Rejoice before him.
God is in his holy Temple. He is a father to orphans, and he defends the widows.
God gives the lonely a home. He leads prisoners out with joy, but those who turn against God will live in a dry land. [vss 1-6]
God comes with millions of chariots; the Lord comes from Mount Sinai to his holy place.
When you went up to the heights, you led a parade of captives.
You received gifts from the people, even from those who turned against you. And the Lord God will live there.
Praise the Lord, God our Savior, who helps us every day. Selah
Our God is a God who saves us; the Lord God saves us from death. [vss 17-20]
Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord. Selah
Sing to the one who rides through the skies, which are from long ago. He speaks with a thundering voice.
Announce that God is powerful. He rules over Israel, and his power is in the skies.
God, you are wonderful in your Temple. The God of Israel gives his people strength and power. Praise God! [vss 32-35]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. (Psalm 68:1-6; 17-20; 32-35 NCV Context– Psalm 68)
When things are not good it's easy to get discouraged. Discouragement can lead to depression and a sense of hopelessness and despair. The antidote, of course, is hope. We need to believe things will get better.
Although real life is not black and white, we can view it that way, as either good or bad. Maybe you've seen graphics that have part of a photo in black and white with one portion or half in color. It's a dramatic change and contrast. Faith enables a person to see in color.
Faith enables us to see beyond the dichotomies of good and evil, righteous and wicked, or even life and death. This psalm is an illustration of that.
At first, we're reminded of God's sovereign power, but we also see His gracious care as a Father—
He is a father to orphans, and he defends the widows. God gives the lonely a home.
This is emphasized again in a prophetic sense of the personal intervention of God through His Son Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world (Eph 4:7-10)—
And the Lord God will live there. Praise the Lord, God our Savior, who helps us every day... Our God is a God who saves us; the Lord God saves us from death.
As a savior, He rescues us or delivers us from what we are powerless to overcome on our own.
Finally, when we are in a relationship with God by faith, He transfers some of His power and strength to those who trust in Him. He gives us hope and enables us to overcome what seem to be impossible obstacles.
The God of Israel gives his people strength and power. Praise God!
Have you learned to live beyond black and white days in a full-color life by faith?
When life seems overwhelming or you just feel trapped, trust in the One who alone enables you to see beyond the immediate with hope through His strength and power.
©Word-Strong_2017
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I won't cover all 150 Psalms, but do selective devotionals through the rest of Psalms.
So if I skip one that you like... let me know and I'll try to cover it!
