Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / December 8 - Psalm 94

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December 8 - Psalm 94 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello, friends. Sean, here it is Friday.
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  Congratulations. Hey.
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  Hey. You have made it to the end of
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  another mad week, I'm guessing. But here we are nonetheless.
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  I hope you're going well. I hope that whatever the the
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  craziness of this time of year is for you and your family or
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  your situation, that you are still able to find a little bit
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  of time in this Advent season as we walk toward that Manger in
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  that little building long ago and far away.
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  Unless you actually live in Bethlehem, in which case, how
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  awesome is that? But for the rest of us, far
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  away, let us just remember to pause just for a moment, and to
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  revel in this glorious, glorious act of redemptive saving that
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  our God engages in in this Christmas story.
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  And as the world goes mad around us, let us just hold on to that
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  in our hearts as we approach our Saviour born into our world
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  miraculously for us. And so today we read a Psalm
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  together, which is what we do, as you well know.
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  And this Psalm 94 is a Psalm of lament.
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  This is the psalmist praying that God would give them some
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  retribution against their oppressors.
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  This is a good old classic, Old Testament Psalm.
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  When they say take them down, oh Lord, for they are bad and your
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  people need your help. Sometimes we wish we could pray
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  Psalms like this. So that's you and this is your
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  Psalm. Let's put down the madness of
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  the day. Come before God to read
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  together. Psalm 94.
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  Oh, Lord, the God of vengeance. O God, a vengeance.
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  Let your glorious justice shine forth.
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  Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they
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  deserve. How long, O Lord?
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  How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?
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  How long will they speak with arrogance?
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  How long will these evil people boast?
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  They crush your people, Lord, hurting those you claim as your
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  own. They kill widows and foreigners
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  and murder orphans. The Lord isn't looking, they
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  say. And besides, the God of Israel
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  doesn't care. Think again, you fools.
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  When will you finally catch on? Is he deaf, The one who made
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  your ears, Is he blind? The one who formed your eyes?
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  He punishes the nations. Won't he also punish you?
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  He knows everything. Doesn't he also know what you
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  are doing? The Lord shows people thoughts.
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  He knows they are worthless. Joyful are those you disciple,
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  Lord, those you teach with your instructions.
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  You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is
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  dug to capture the wicked. The Lord will not reject his
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  people. He will not abandoned his
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  special possession. Judgment will again be founded
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  on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.
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  Who will protect me from the wicked?
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  Who will stand up for me against evil doers?
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  Unless the Lord has helped me? I would soon have settled in the
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  silence of the grave. I cried out.
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  I'm slipping. But your unfailing love, O Lord,
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  supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your
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  comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
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  Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side?
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  Leaders whose decrees permit justice, they gang up against
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  the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
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  But the Lord is my fortress. My God is the mighty rock where
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  I hide. God will turn the sins of evil
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  people back on them. He will destroy them for their
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  sins. The Lord our God will destroy
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  them. Jesus, you know all too well
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  that that when we are oppressed and we see injustice, our heart
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  flies to the NTH degree that just wants retribution against
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  them. But here we read in your Psalm
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  that your retribution is always motivated by pure justice, not
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  for punishment but for restoration of the right way.
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  Lord, help us always have our hearts focused on restoring of
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  your truth and justice and not getting even for our own petty
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  grievances. And thank you that you always
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  have your eye tuned for the oppressed.
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  You always have your ear ready to hear their cries, and may we
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  be your hands and feet in those situations to hear the cries of
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  those struggling and to respond. You are a just kind and
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  uplifting God, and for that we thank you and we praise you.
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  And it's in the mighty saving and loving name of Jesus that we
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  pray. Amen.