SCRIPTURE: Psalm 144
“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” (Psalm 144:1)
I do not live in the violent world that David lived in.
War, crime, violence… people were always attacking each other.
Does God really prepare us for battle?
Not in the cruel, violent, unjust sense, but as defenders of peace and justice… Yes!
Think of a police officer or a security guard as they go about their duties.
They have been assigned a sword to maintain peace and justice, and they need God’s help.
“They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 12:4)
I am not a police officer, but I am a peace officer.
Like Jesus I work for justice and peace, not with a sword but with love and mercy.
By His Spirit, He equips us to fight the good fight (Ephesians 6).
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
God’s purpose is to create a world that is safe for everyone to flourish ‘like well-nurtured plants’.
In God’s dream for the world, everyone is blessed because the violent and mean are resisted.
“Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 144:15)
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, use me as Your peace officer. Prepare me today with weapons of love and mercy to reduce violence and brokenness and to advance Your dream of a blessed world.
Observations/Application
God is
my Rock,
my Redeemer.
my Stronghold,
my Deliverer,
my Shield.
He is my ALL in all.
I am but a moment but I must see the Hand of God at work in His Creation. He is at work in nature and among His people. Do I see Him? Do I praise Him anew each day? Do I see the amazing things God is doing?
I need to walk with Him is all areas of life – in my struggles, in my blessings. All what I am I owe to Him.
All that I am I owe to Thee,
Thy wisdom, Lord, has fashioned me;
I give my Maker thankful praise,
Whose wondrous works my soul amaze.
Ere into being I was brought,
Thine eye did see, and in Thy thought
My life in all its perfect plan
Was ordered ere my days began.
Thy thoughts, O God, how manifold,
More precious unto me than gold!
I muse on their infinity,
Awaking I am still with Thee.
The wicked Thou shalt surely slay,
From me let sinners turn away;
They speak against the Name divine,
I count God~ez_rsquo~s enemies as mine.
Search me, O God, my heart discern,
Try me, my inmost thought to learn;
And lead me, if in sin I stray,
To choose the everlasting way.