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Day 74 Psalm 74 Psalm 74:1 < O God, why hast thou cast us off forever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. 3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. 4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. 5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. 6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. 7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. 8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. 9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long. 10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever? 11 Why withdraw thou thy hand, even thy right hand? Pluck it out of thy bosom. 12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: you break the heads of the dragons in the waters. 14 You break the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 15 You did cleave the fountain and the flood: you dried up mighty rivers. 16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. 17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. 18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. 19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor forever. 20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name. 22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches thee daily. 23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increases continually. When life takes a sudden turn and you don’t know which way to turn, and every road looks like it leads to more trouble, where do you turn? Judah was in exile. Asaph watched as King Nebuchadnezzar came through with his armies and destroyed everything including the synagogues and the temple of God in Jerusalem. He cried out to God to deliver them, for help to come from somewhere, but even the voice of the prophets was silent. He reminded God that Israel was his chosen people, and how he had helped them in times past, and asked for his help again against their enemies. When trouble comes our way, the only place we can turn to is God. God is the only one who will destroy our enemies and clear the road ahead so we can pass through. God is the only one who will lay sickness and disease in the dust, fix our finances, and take care of all our needs. However, it might take time for that to happen. God does not tolerate sin, and if there is any sin in our lives, we need to take care of that first. We need to come before God with a repentant heart, willing to give him the honor and respect he’s due. For Israel, God promised the land would lie idle and they would be in exile for 70 years. For us that is a generation. It took that long for Israel and Judah to return fully to God, and denounce all the gods they had worshiped since the reign of Solomon. What will it take for you to fully embrace God? When will you stop playing let’s make a deal with God and give him your life, all of it without reservation? It’s a hard thing to do because we want to hold onto our way of life. Yet, when you submit your lives to God, he will give you more than you ever thought possible. Asaph fully trusted God, but not everyone did. Asaph wanted to return home, yet God had him in a holding pattern. He had to wait until all Israel and Judah was ready to submit to God. How long will you wait? Turn your life over to God and watch him work in your life now. Let’s pray: Father, help me commit my life fully to you. Help me trust you for everything because I know you only want my good. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 1 June 2016 by Valerie Jean Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay