Psalm
68 reminds me of the excitement surrounding the birth of our first
child. There is little in life that can match the mixture of fear,
overwhelming joy, pride and thankfulness. Typically we have nine
months to prepare, but nothing can truly prepare us for this gift of
new life. We don’t know when this psalm was written, but some
speculate it was sung as the Ark of God was brought back into
Jerusalem after being kept in a private home for 20 years. The Ark
represents the presence of God. King David made a conscious decision
to move the Ark back into the center of the nation. The psalm
begins, “May
God arise, may His enemies be scattered“.
It is clear that God does not change, but often our orientation
toward Him does. Those that deny God do not want His will or Word to
be raised. Sin cannot dwell in the presence of God. The Psalmist
declares, “As
wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God“.
In contrast, “May
the righteous be glad and rejoice before God“.
God’s truth exposes the wicked and brings joy to those that desire
to honor Him. I love how he describes God, “A
father to the fatherless, a defender of widows… God sets the lonely
in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing“.
I believe the singing is songs of joy, confident that God is in
control. I come from a big family and being in the family of God
reminds me of the best memories of my childhood, being together,
having help at your side, and never being alone. There is no reason
to be an only child.
Next
the psalm turns to acknowledging the things that God has done. It is
important to remind ourselves of His accomplishments in our life and
tell others! “When
You went out before your people… You refreshed Your weary
inheritance… You provided for the poor… The Lord announced the
word…
the
Almighty scattered the kings in the land“.
When we see others in need around us, why are we so slow to share
the things God has done for us? The world around us needs
encouragement and you have it in your own experience. We do not need
to know theology, we can say, “Praise
be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens… Our
God is a
God
who saves“.
Those might be the very words your co-worker needs to hear today.
For
most of us, God does not sneak up on us in ambush; we tend to have
encounters that prepare us for making room in the center of our life.
“Your
procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and
King into the sanctuary“.
Often God is presented to us in waves, “In
front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the
maidens playing tambourines“.
Finally David is shouting the unmistakable call, “Praise
God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly“.
Next he offers a prayer that God would reveal Himself, “Show
us Your strength, O God… Rebuke the beast among the reeds“.
Perhaps he is referring to the crocodiles of the Nile, but all of us
have things that must be addressed before we can embrace God. The
psalm ends with a series of exhortations to give God praise. “Sing
to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord…
Proclaim
the power of God…
You
are awesome, O God…
the
God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to
God!”
Has God been preparing you for renewal? Jesus told the man that
came to Him at night searching for answers, “I
tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is
born again“.
An entirely new joy is ready to be birthed in your life.