The Pastures of God
Today’s Text: PSALM 83:1-4, 12-18
FOUNDATION

The Bible is the FOUNDATION for life.

When God demonstrates His power, everyone is obliged to take notice:

PSALM 83:1-4, 12-18

Do not keep silent, O God!
Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God!

For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;
And those who hate You have lifted up their head.

They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

Who said, “Let us take for ourselves . . .

. . . the pastures of God for a possession.”

O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like the chaff before the wind!

As the fire burns the woods,
And as the flame sets the mountains on fire,
So pursue them with Your tempest,
And frighten them with Your storm.

Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
Let them be confounded and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

The psalmist Asaph understood the evil intentions of Israel’s enemies. Rather than succumbing to intimidation, discounting the reality of evil or passively hoping it would go away, Asaph turned to God. He knew that faith did not preclude action. Like godly individuals throughout history, Asaph was confident no enemy could withstand the power of God.

Charles E. McCracken is an international Bible teacher, long-time friend of Israel and advocate for the Jewish people. Known for authenticity in communicating biblical truth, Rev. McCracken’s presentations have relevance for those seeking to understand the significance of Israel and the church. He staunchly supports the nation of Israel and the Jewish people’s right to exist and live in peace. 

© Charles E. McCracken 2016, devotional comments only. Repost/Reprint with permission from the author. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (Emphasis added.)

IMAGES:
1) The Bible is the FOUNDATION for life. By Ken Horn, [CC BY 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons – Enhancement: MKM Portfolios
2) Aerial view, Green Galilee. By Israel photo gallery (Itamar Grinberg_IMOT) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons – Enhancement: MKM Portfolios

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