Psalm 83 is a prayer for God to do whatever it takes to convince the world that He is indeed God.
That's a scary prayer to pray. It's especially scary when you pray that prayer about a loved one. Because, when we read Revelation 9, we see that sometimes it takes a LOT.
In fact, after hail and fire destroyed a third of the earth, after a third of the sea was turned to blood and a third of the sea creatures died, after a third of the waters turned bitter causing people to die, after a third of the day and night was completely without light, after scorpions tortured people for five months, after a third of mankind was killed by plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur - after ALL THAT, it STILL says....
The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood - idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. Revelation 10:20-21 (Emphasis mine)
I don't know about you, but to me, it makes it very scary to pray Psalm 83, and yet at the same time it makes me all the more determined. Because as horrible as the destruction of Revelation 9 is, the reality of hell will surpass it by far. And the fact remains that at the end of time as we know it, EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus is Lord - but if they don't do it before they die or before the Lord returns, it will be too late.
Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord - that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. Psalm 83:18
Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 107, 127, Revelation 10
3 comments:
It amazes me, too, to see here in Revelation that for many, it doesn't/won't matter how bad it gets, they simply won't turn to God. In listening to Johnny Mac's messages on Revelation 8 last week, I thought he summed up that puzzling concept quite nicely with John 3:19 ~ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
They don't turn to God because they simply love their sin more. And because they refuse to see that the bad things happening all around them and TO them are God's way of letting them know they desperately need Him.
I think this might be the reason I'm uncomfortable saying that God doesn't specifically send bad things our way. In many places in the OT as well as here in Revelation, it's clear God is sending humanity an urgent message in all this calamity. If He used that form of communication at the beginning of human history and will be using it at the end of human history, what gives us the idea He doesn't/won't use it right now?
Great Jonny Mac quote there - that definitely makes sense.
And I agree it would definitely be safe to say that God does sometimes specifically send bad things our way as an urgent message.
That being said, it would not be safe to say that we know for sure He's doing that in a specific incident (like some TV evangelists have done in the past).
Agreed. I was just thinking back to a conversation that I had with a friend which I've referenced a time or two here and/or on my blog. I don't think we can ever for sure say it's a definite yes or no, but to somehow presume God never does makes me uncomfortable. I think this is the reason why.
Post a Comment