“Your
Consolation Brought Me Joy”
How long, Lord, will
the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?
They pour out arrogant
words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress your inheritance. They slay the widow and the foreigner; they
murder the fatherless. They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes
no notice.”
Take notice, you
senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? Does he
who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who
disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? The
Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile.
Blessed is the one you
discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from
days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not reject
his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. Judgment will again be
founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart
will follow it.
Who will rise up for me
against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the
Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I
said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When
anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
Can a corrupt throne be
allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? The wicked band
together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord
has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. He will
repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our
God will destroy them.
Psalm
94:3-23
God is our cleft for
all ages. People are all around us who are characterized by pride, cruelty, and
a lack of regard for God. When we are the target of someone’s wrongdoing, we
can remember the testimony of the psalmist: “The Lord has been my defense, and
my God the rock of my refuge.”
As our rock, God is
dependable and strong. As our refuge, He can provide safety until problems
pass. With God as our defender, we don’t have to fear what others will do. We
can trust that God will support us when trouble comes.
Refuge
can be found in the Rock of Ages.
Our
Daily Bread – June 20, 2013