God is the Most High

O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind! As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Let them die in disgrace. Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth. Psalm 83: 13-18 NLT

Violence, terror and disgrace do not make me respect those who hand it out. Yet, the psalmist seems to think if God acts in these ways, those who are defeated will learn who God is. I think they will be too wrapped up in their own shame and death.

For me, being shamed or made to feel belittled just makes me angry at the one who is doing the shaming and belittling. The only lesson I learn is to stay as far away from that person as I can. But I admit that I would celebrate their defeat.

The psalmist knows that God is the only one called the Lord and that God is the Most High, supreme over all the earth. That is the most important point.

God, you alone are called the Lord. You alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth. Help me to live as though I know and understand this about you. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

To be more like God

Do to them as you did to the Midianites and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River. They were destroyed at Endor, and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil. Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did. Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna, for they said, “Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!” Psalm 83: 9-12 NLT

I had to do some research to figure out who these people were. I knew Sisera was a commander in the time of the prophet Deborah and he was killed by a woman. Jabin was his king and he was also killed. Oreb and Zeeb were commanders and their kings were Zebah and Zalmunna. They were all Midianites who were defeated by Gideon. So, all of these were men and countries who tried to overtake God's lands and God's people but they were defeated.

I think the important thing is the idea of the land. The psalmist wants the current enemies to die so that their decaying corpses might fertilize the soil – this cannot be a coincidence with the fact that these same people want to seize God's pasturelands for themselves. Perhaps what the psalmist is saying is that they will have God's lands, but not quite like they think. The will become part of the soil rather than the conqueror.

Or, at least, that is the psalmist's hope.

God, I have dreams of revenge and plans that I want you to fulfill. I want you to raise me up while others are defeated. Am I being just, God, or trying to be you? Help me to be more like you rather than to try to be you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims

Our Family, Our Enemy

O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. Don't you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don't you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.” Yes, this was their unanimous decision. They signed a treaty as allies against you – these Edomites and Ishmaelites; Moabites and Hagrites; Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and people from Philistia and Tyre. Assyria has joined them, too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Psalm 83: 1-8 NLT

The saddest part of this psalm is not that folks are ganging up on Israel, God's own nation. What is sad is that these are all related in some way to the Israelites. Ishmael was Isaac's half brother. Lot was Abraham's nephew. In fact, Abraham originally came from the land of Assyria. These are all relatives who have decided to conspire against God's people.

Sometimes it is our families who become our greatest enemies.

Think for a moment about your own family tree. Are there any black sheep? How about someone with whom you do not get along? A distant relative who can't stand you and often tries to insult you or put you down? Even worse, is there someone you are related to you who tries their best to make your life miserable?

God, you have blessed us with our families and yet sometimes they are our bitterest enemies. Do not be silent, Lord, do not be deaf when we cry to you. Help us, Lord, help us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims