Independence says “I’m better than God!”

Posted on 10. Feb, 2010 by Jim Peters in Hearing God - Jim's Daily D

Psalm 58

Written by King David – For the Choir Director
A Mikhtam[1] – (to the tune of)[2] Al-tashheth (which means “Do not Destroy”)

¹ Do you strong ones[3] really say what is right?

Are you fair when you judge mankind?[4]

² No! (From) deep inside you do wickedly.

You carry out injustice with your hands on earth.

³ The wicked are strangers from the womb

They tell lies and go astray from their birth.

⁴ Their poison is like snakes’ poison,

Like a deaf cobra[5], they shut their ears

⁵ so that they don’t hear the voice of the (snake) charmer

Even though it’s a clever (snake) charmer.

⁶ God, shatter their teeth in their mouths!

Lord, break off the fangs of the young lions!

⁷ Let them flow like water that goes away!

(When they go to) bend their bows, let their arrows be cut to pieces!

⁸ Like a snail dissolving or a woman’s stillborn baby[6]

May they never see the sun!

⁹ Before your pots feel the (fire from the burning) thornbushes

He will sweep them away like a whirlwind, both[7] the living and the burning.

¹⁰ (The person who does) right will be glad when they see the punishment;

They will wash their feet in the wicked (people’s) blood.

¹¹ People[8] will say, “There is certainly a harvest for (those who) do right.

There is certainly a God (who) judges on earth.”

[1] “probably a poetical or musical term” [2] “according to” [3] “’el ’el” [4] “judge evenness/equity sons adam/man” [5] deaf venomous snake (possibly) “Cobra/viper” [6] “miscarriage/untimely birth” [7] “like/when/as it were” [8] “adam/mankind”

Application

If I am independent of God, I am saying that my strength is greater than his, or at best that my strength is all I need. I make myself a “strong one” and the word used in the Hebrew is ’el ’el which is the same word that is translated as “Mighty God.” Independence of God and moving in my own strength is the same as making myself god in His place. It can only result in wickedness. In fact, it is intrinsically wicked since it is idolatry.

I need to rely on God’s strength. When I am in trouble, I need to call on God to deliver me. I need him to confuse the plans of the wicked. God is there to help me if I rely on him, but who can help me if I place my hope in myself when the problem is too great. If I haven’t got a problem that’s too big for me to face alone, then I can be assured that one day I will. It could be health, it could be financial, it could be relational, but whatever it is, one day I will come to realise that I am not in control of everything and that I need someone to help. Who is there better than the One who made all things and cares for me despite all I’ve done in the past.

Doing right depends on only one thing, and that’s accepting the sacrifice of God in Christ that makes me right with him. It will bring a harvest instead of destruction and I will confidently say that there is a God who certainly judges this world. My confidence in God is for NOW AND for ETERNITY.

Prayer

Father, thank you that you are my help. Thank you for sending your Son to rescue me from myself and my sin. I need you in every part of my life – every decision and every moment. Please be my help and deliver me from the issues that I face today – those I know about and those I’m not even aware of. Please take all of my family and use them for your eternal purposes, convince them of your love and cause them to serve you with their whole hearts. I want to serve you that way. You are my God!

IJN Amen

Jim Peters

Independence says “I’m better than God!”

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