The Lord Implored to Avenge His People.
94 O Lord, God of [a]vengeance,
God of [b]vengeance, [c]shine forth!
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.
3 How long shall the wicked, O Lord,
How long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.
5 They crush Your people, O Lord,
And afflict Your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the [d]stranger
And murder the orphans.
7 They have said, “[e]The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”8 Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?
9 He who planted the ear, [f]does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, [g]does He not see?
10 He who [h]chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
[i]That they are a mere breath.
This is such an encouraging passage… Okay, not really, but it certainly sounds familiar. At least, if you pay any attention to what is going on in our country. Regardless of your political views, there are plenty of people “pouring forth words” and speaking arrogantly, vaunting themselves and flaunting their deeds in God’s face.
As the psalmist continues, “Does He not hear?” and “Does He not see?” Naturally, these are rhetorical questions. Of course God sees, but many will take the actions of the wicked, as we’ve described them, and ask the bigger question, “Does God not care? Why doesn’t He do something?” The simple answer is, “He does, and He already did…”
Yet is is difficult to live that truth. To remember that we live in a fallen world and are suffering the consequences of sin, and yet God himself offers each of us hope. It feels almost like the days of Noah played on repeat, and yet it is not without His notice. For all the vanity of our media, God is still working in this world, every day, and all the time.
The thoughts and plans of the wicked are but as a vapor, a “mere breath” compared to His plan. The question isn’t, “Does God care?” The real question is, “How much do you care?” Do you care enough to do something, to stop playing the victim and embrace the reality that God has invited you to be His own, a very child of the Kind? Do you care enough to do good works, His good works, wherever He calls you to do them?
Shift your gaze from the deeds of the wicked to your own heart. They will continue plotting and wreaking havoc, but what will you do? Let God transform you, renew your mind, and use you to be a force for good in a world that desperately needs it. Let your deeds be more than a “mere breath” as you follow the ultimate plan, His plan.