Get Victory Out of My Misery

Psalm 74 is a plea to God for Him to restore the chosen poeple back from the devastation of their exile due to their own sins. What is interesting about this psalm of repentance is that the repentance shown is for the glory of God.

He wants God to get the glory in this story... God to get the victory and renown. He's not looking simply for fast relief from his pain, but he's looking for the name and glory of God to be known in all the earth once again.

How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever? (Psalms 74:10 NLT)
Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long. (Psalms 74:22 NLT)

I wonder if what we consider repentance is true repentance? What are we after? Simply relief from our pains, anxieties and stresses brought on by sin's effects? Or are we seeking to bring glory to God? For that is our original intended purpose.

I was thinking this week about the original command to humanity from the Lord. In Genesis 2 he tells them to be fruitful and multiply, rule the earth and subdue it. Then again in Genesis 8 He tells Noah the same thing - to multiply and fill the Earth. That's our mission, that's our mandate. We are to fill the Earth everywhere with the glory of God. In the Tower of Babel mankind rejects that mission and gathers in one place with one language to build one tower and make a name for themselves. God divides their language and scatters them over the earth. A subtle reminder that God's will is going to be done either reluctantly or willingly. 

Then God calls Abraham to be the father of many nations – another subtle hint of multiplicity and spreading out across the earth. Jesus tells his disciples to preach in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth – another reminder that we are to spread out and cover the earth with the glory of the Lord. Then in Acts 8 a great persecution breaks out against the church and they spread out sharing everywhere the message of Jesus. This is our mission, this is our mandate.

Proper repentance is getting back to our mission and spreading everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of the Lord. So that this world will see His glory and enjoy it. 

May God's will be done.




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