Meditations for Diffcult Days [8] Marvelous Works

 

Marvelous Works 

Psalm 46:1-8 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth..."

Psalm 46:9 - "He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire."

The "Good"  Works

On my daily walk yesterday (and from now on, my only daily walk) I had fleeting and half-jesting conversations with passing walkers about how difficult it is to maintain a 2 metre distance on a narrow path.

We all politely smiled and moved on, but the difficult truth is that we can choose to be either six foot apart, or if we are not wise and careful, six feet under - this is not the time to mince words.

We're getting used to difficult truths.

If you have been following these blogs, did you find yesterday's truth difficult: that God brings desolations on the earth, which means that he allows difficult things in our lives and into our world?

And, yes, the truth that God has allowed Coronavirus?

Perhaps you simply don't believe it - yet.

May the Lord himself help us to rejoice that He is the Sovereign King. Because then we can be sure that there is no earthly power or circumstance out of his omnipotent control or out of his divine ability to turn around for our good and his glory.

The Christian poet Cowper urges us ever so gently to view things as God does:

You fearful saints, fresh courage take;

  The clouds you so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

  In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

  But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

  He hides a smiling face.

The writer of Psalm 46 has invited us to survey all the works of the Lord. The first works were what we so easily call "bad" - the desolations he has brought on the earth. The next works, the subject for today's meditation, are what we might call "good."

(All this dividing up of God's works into "good" and "bad" is, however, thoroughly mistaken! "As for God, his way is perfect" (Psalm 18:30) God is good in everything he does and allows, it's just that we refuse to acknowledge his more difficult and therefore his higher ways.)

Well, today, the psalmist invites us to view the end of war: that's a good work is it not?

"He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire."

Those of us who watched the recent film 1914 were reminded how terrifying war is; those who lived through it know it from the inside. The end of war is a good thing. War, even of the just kind, is always abhorrent, dreadful, horrific and lamentable. 

Psalm 46:9 is a visual feast: bows are broken by God so that they can't be used any more and spears are deliberately shattered. Then finally  shields are burned with fire - no need for defensive weapons if the offensive ones are rendered useless! This is not "detente",  the temporary easing of hostilities, nor is it D-Day after which numerous mopping up operations were required.

No, this is the end of warfare fullstop: "to the ends of the earth."

The Last and Glorious Day

The psalmist is pointing our gaze forward in time to The Last Day, when Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns in power and glory to put an end to this age of strife and warfare. He is pointing us forward to the new heavens and the new earth in which there will be no warfare and no sorrow, death, pain or suffering.

A day is coming - for which we all need to be ready - when the "Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels." (2 Thessalonians 1:7) This will bring history to an end. He will take his children home, but "punish all who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus." (1:8)

Summing it Up

The psalmist  who is facing imminent potential disaster himself - mountains falling into the heart of the seas - directs our gaze forward to the time when war - perhaps the greatest symbol of what's gone wrong with this fallen world - will come to an end.

He points us to the day when Jesus will return to wind up the affairs of this world.

Reader are you ready for that Great Day?

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God? Have you have sincerely turned (and are daily turning) from your sins? Is your house in order?

If so, by the grace of God, you are ready for that day. And when Jesus comes, you will be among those who are infinitely relieved and thrilled at the sight of his glorious appearing.

If you are not ready for that day, today is the moment to make things right. Today - not tomorrow - is the day of salvation. Today is the day to turn from your idols - all the things you now trust in - and turn to the living God. Today is the day to repent of your sins and turn from them. Today is the day to believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Here is a simple prayer you could make your own - and then tell someone you have prayed it.

Dear God in heaven,

I am sorry for loving idols rather than loving you. Today I turn from all the things I have depended on in my life, the things I have put above you,  and turn to you, the one and only living God. I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that he died to take away my sins. I turn from my sins, and humbly trust in Jesus.

Amen

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Our song for the day expresses the hope of every believer in the Lord Jesus who stands on hopeful tip-toe waiting for his return.

There is a day
That all creation's waiting for,
A day of freedom and liberation for the earth.
And on that day
The Lord will come to meet His bride,
And when we see Him
In an instant we'll be changed

The trumpet sounds
And the dead will then be raised
By His power,
Never to perish again.
Once only flesh,
Now clothed with immortality,
Death has now been
Swallowed up in victory

We will meet Him in the air
And then we will be like Him
For we will see Him, as He is
Oh yeah!
Then all hurt and pain will cease
And we'lll be with Him forever
And in His glory we will live
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!

So lift your eyes
To the things as yet unseen,
That will remain now
For all eternity.
Though trouble's hard,
It's only momentary
And it's acheiving
Our future glory.

Lou Fellingham

You can listen to it HERE:

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY 

Dear Father in heaven,

We thank you that you have given us hope in dark times. We thank you that a day is coming when wars and every other tragic curse, including disease and death, will come to an end.

We look forward to the glorious appearing of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Help us to speed his return by living lives that are worthy of him, lives of which we will not be ashamed when he appears.

We ask these things in Jesus' Name

Amen