S ) "1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!"
Psalm 43:1 (NASB)
O) David was a king of a nation. He was a skilled warrior and tactician, and God used him in a great many military victories. He was also, however, a diplomat. He sought peace with various countries, although it was to varying degrees of success. Above all else, though, he knew that it was God alone who would give him success in his military or his politics. David understood that God held victory in His hands, and it was according to God's will that he would succeed or fail.
A) Given the political and moral climate changes in my own country recently, when I read this, the first thing that came to mind was that the ungodly nation that seems the most threatening to me might be my own. The deceitful and unjust man is becoming the common citizen. This verse reminds me that politics, nations, ideals, and governments will change like the wind does. However, God never changes. My safety, security, and well-being are all dependent on the LORD alone, not man-made institutions. The strength of the church (that is, God's people in Christ) will always rest on our commitment and reliance on Him, and on nothing else. The church does not belong to the United States. The United States does not belong to the church. We are citizens in a kingdom that is not of this world. We belong to the kingdom of heaven. Every other kingdom, colony, principality, nation, or government, is therefore ungodly.
A) Given the political and moral climate changes in my own country recently, when I read this, the first thing that came to mind was that the ungodly nation that seems the most threatening to me might be my own. The deceitful and unjust man is becoming the common citizen. This verse reminds me that politics, nations, ideals, and governments will change like the wind does. However, God never changes. My safety, security, and well-being are all dependent on the LORD alone, not man-made institutions. The strength of the church (that is, God's people in Christ) will always rest on our commitment and reliance on Him, and on nothing else. The church does not belong to the United States. The United States does not belong to the church. We are citizens in a kingdom that is not of this world. We belong to the kingdom of heaven. Every other kingdom, colony, principality, nation, or government, is therefore ungodly.
P) Father, help me keep my head on straight. I need to focus on Your kingdom, Your sovereignty, Your authority, and Your will. You have commissioned me to Your purposes, and everything else should be peripheral. With the turning tides of my country, remind me that this country is not actually my own. As I strive to uphold Your standard, and proclaim truth and love, I pray that You protect and keep me. Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! Let Your will be done, and be glorified before every nation, people, and tongue. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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