relationships (Psalm 74:1-23) Know That He Knows and Cares!

(Psalm 74:1-23)  God, why have You rejected us forever?

     Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2   Remember Your congregation, which You purchased of old,
     Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
     And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
3   Step toward the irreparable ruins;
     The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
4   Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
     They have set up their own signs as signs.
5   It seems like one bringing up 
     His axe into a forest of trees.
6   And now they break down all its carved work 
     With axe and hammers.
7   They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;
     They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
8   They said in their heart, “Let’s completely subdue them.”
     They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9   We do not see our signs;
     There is no longer any prophet,
     Nor is there anyone among us who knows how long.
10 How long, God, will the enemy taunt You?
     Shall the enemy treat Your name disrespectfully forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
     Extend it from Your chest and destroy them!

12 Yet God is my King from long ago,
     Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength;
     You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
     You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You broke open springs and torrents;
     You dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
     You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have established all the boundaries of the earth;
     You have created summer and winter.

18 Remember this, Lord, that the enemy has taunted You,
     And a foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.
19 Do not give the soul of Your turtledove to the wild animal;
     Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the covenant;
     For the dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
21 May the oppressed person not return dishonored;
     May the afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, God, and plead Your own cause;
     Remember how the foolish person taunts You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries,
     The uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Those who are ignorant and/or hate God will abuse His name.  Those who love God should desire to respect and praise His name.  God hears and sees everything.  God knows everything.  And God remembers everything.  As well, He is faithful.  So He will be faithful in fulfilling the covenants He made with the Israelites.

The Israelites were chosen - to be the "missionaries" to the rest of the world - but they (as a nation) walked away from God.  They (as a nation) rejected Jesus the first time He came in flesh.  Their suffering will only end when they, as a nation, accept Jesus as their Messiah and King.  And that will only happen when they see their signs which Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24... which are the judgments that will take place in the Tribulation.  THEN they will believe, and be righteous in God's grace, and obedient in His strength.  THEN Jesus will return again to earth n flesh.

After the victory at the battle at Armageddon, Jesus will bring the Israelites and all those who became believers during the Tribulation into the Millennium.  This is when He will fulfill all promises made to the Israelites.  He has not forgotten.  This will all happen in God's perfect timing!

Meanwhile, no matter how bad things seem to get, the Lord God is still sovereign, and His salvation is available to anyone who believes in Him!  With that, not only will we be saved from eternal death, but we will be saved from the wrath to come, which is the Tribulation.  Therefore, He is faithful to even those who have not yet become believers.  

The Lord knows exactly who will turn and believe in Him.  He also knows exactly when.  And because He is also fair and just, He will not gather up all believers to heaven and bring judgment onto the earth until that perfect time.  Because of this, and so much more, we can be thankful and praise His name, in confidence and complete trust!  Afterall, the Lord has done, and is doing, and will do all of these things - just so that He can have a personal relationship with anyone who wants Him in their life!!!