1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3 But let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
4 Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!
Dear God, I wonder if there are any circumstances under which Bible Gateway would have picked verses 1 and 2 as the verse of the day instead of verse 4. I also wonder if there is anyone pre-Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection who had a feel for how you really work. Maybe a prophet like Isaiah or Jeremiah. Maybe Elijah. Maybe even Moses. But even all of these people were kind of forced into a position of seeing everyone as friend or enemy. They all certainly faced enemies. Jonah, I supposed had it explained to him pretty well, but he rejected it. He just couldn’t stand your mercy.
I think the thing that all of us forget are the famous line from John Donne’s poem “For Whom the Bell Tolls”:
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
What if I am the one who has made myself your enemy? Or the enemy of the righteous. I had a donor at our nonprofit complain to me once that they had not gotten a privilege extended to them they felt they had earned through the size of their donation. I privately thought to myself, “But what if the cut line on the privilege was higher than you think and you were still on the other side of it?” So when I read verses like the first couple in the psalm, they make me uncomfortable because I don’t want to hate that much and there is this sneaking suspicion I have that I might actually be on that side of the line. Letting you down. Sinning. Hating. Lusting. Lying. Coveting. Making idols. Rejecting you.
Father, for the other praise words in this psalm, I agree. Even just verse 3 and 4: But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds–his name is the LORD–and rejoice before him. I rejoice before you. I praise your name. I extol you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Please forgive me. Please help and guide me. Please heal me. Please use me however you will.
I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit.
Amen
