Day 562: Psalm 94- Restoration In Discipline

O Lord, God of vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
    repay to the proud what they deserve!
3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
    how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words;
    all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O Lord,
    and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the sojourner,
    and murder the fatherless;
7 and they say, “The Lord does not see;
    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8 Understand, O dullest of the people!
    Fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge--
11     the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
    that they are but a breath.
 
12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
    and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him rest from days of trouble,
    until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
    he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
    and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?
    Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my help,
    my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, “My foot slips,”
    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
    those who frame injustice by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,
    and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will bring back on them their iniquity
    and wipe them out for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will wipe them out.
 
Meditation
Your circumstances are a platform for God to reveal His character. When we struggle we learn the strength of God’s steadfast love. When the cares of our heart are many the compassion of God is our consolation (19).
 
The intimate love of the Lord is the bedrock for understanding God’s discipline as blessing (12). The Lord disciplines those He loves and cherishes all His children (Hebrews 12:5-6). The discipline of the Lord directs us in God’s ways (12), gives rest for our soul (13), and reinforces God’s faithfulness (14).
 
Rightly understanding God’s restorative ways provides redemptive perspective. First, we see God as our champion- He stands for us, rises up on our behalf, helps us, holds us up, and cares for us (16-19). Second, we have patience in present problems. We know God is the creator (9-11) and the just judge of all the earth (1-2). With the Psalmist we can ask, “how long” will the wicked seem to flourish and the righteous be frustrated (1-7), while knowing God’s intimate involvement in our lives surely means His promises to right the wrongs of the world will come to pass.
 
Divine discipline displays that God is for us! And if God is for us then who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? God is restoring us and making things right in the world. He is our champion, our stronghold, and we can trust Him.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you delight in Divine discipline? Why or why not?
 
-The bedrock of understanding discipline as blessing is the unfailing love of the Lord. He is restoring you and will make things right with the world! Do you believe God is for you?
 
-The discipline of the Lord leads to renewed perspective- God is our champion and we can have patience in present problems. Where do you need to celebrate God being your champion, most clearly seen in Christ?
 
Key Verses
12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,