Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world and causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two; he burns the shields with fire. Psalm 46: 8-9 NLT
Okay, these verses are a strange combination. What kind of visual is this: God brings destruction on the earth and causes wars to end. Does this mean that God's violence far outweighs ours? Now that is a frightening thought!
The psalmist says that God breaks the bow, snaps the spear in two and burns the shields with fire. All the weapons are gone, completely destroyed by God. When I prayed for world peace, I was not thinking in these terms.
But the whole section begins by saying that these works are glorious. Even though God is acting in a violent manner, the outcome of God's actions will be wonderful. There will be peace over all the earth.
Will God someday destroy all our nuclear arsenals, our guns, our knives, and our chemical weapons?
That would be the new earth we read about in the Book of Revelation. That would be a true era of peace.
Come, Lord Jesus, come! Bring glory and peace to your whole creation. Amen.
Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims
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