Wake Up

Psalm 83

English Standard Version (ESV)

A Song. A Psalm of ^(A)Asaph.

83 O God, do not keep silence;
    ^(B)do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
² For behold, your enemies ^(C)make an uproar;
    those who hate you have ^(D)raised their heads.
³ They lay ^(E)crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your ^(F)treasured ones.
⁴ They say, “Come, ^(G)let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
⁵ For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant—
⁶ the tents of ^(H)Edom and ^(I)the Ishmaelites,
    ^(J)Moab and ^(K)the Hagrites,
^7 (L)Gebal and ^(M)Ammon and ^(N)Amalek,
    ^(O)Philistia with the inhabitants of ^(P)Tyre;
^8 (Q)Asshur also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of ^(R)the children of Lot. Selah

⁹ Do to them as you did to ^(S)Midian,
    as to ^(T)Sisera and Jabin at ^(U)the river Kishon,
¹⁰ who were destroyed at ^(V)En-dor,
    who became ^(W)dung for the ground.
¹¹ Make their nobles like ^(X)Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like ^(Y)Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹² who said, ^(Z)“Let us take possession for ourselves
    of the pastures of God.”

¹³ O my God, make them like ^(AA)whirling dust,^[a]
    like ^(AB)chaff before the wind.
¹⁴ As ^(AC)fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame ^(AD)sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁵ so may you pursue them ^(AE)with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane!
^16 (AF)Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
¹⁷ Let them be ^(AG)put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,
¹⁸ that they may ^(AH)know that you alone,
    ^(AI)whose name is the Lord,
    are ^(AJ)the Most High over all the earth.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+83&version=ESV)

We have heard it over and over again how God is in control.  So why sometimes do we think that God is not at work.  When His people are persecuted and fall into the snare of the enemy why does it seem that God is not listening?  When we cry out to Him to take action why does it seem He does not hear us?

Of course, I am not God so I really don’t know His thoughts and His reason for doing or not doing something.  One thing I do know is that He loves us and sometimes when we fall into bad situations we come running to Him.  We instantly want Him to jump into action and take charge.  But often times we want Him to take charge the way we want Him to do it, not by His ways but ours.  What He wants from us is that acknowledgement that He is Lord and that He is in control.  He loves it when we come running to Him.  Much like we love having our children run to us.

What do you do when you hear a favorite song on the radio?  You either turn the music up or make everyone be silent so you can hear.  Could it be that God is silent so He can hear the beautiful sound of our prayers going up to Him.  I am sure it is like music to His ears to hear us acknowledge Him.

He wants us to first recognize Him before His enemies recognize Him.  God’s chosen people did not always recognize Him or His power but rather grumble and complain about their situation.  God is ready to take action, not on His enemy but on His people because when persecution comes the people recognize God.  I believe that God’s comment back to these people would be “ Wake up Israel, hear my voice, and recognize that I AM”.  Enemies attack so that we may listen and hear God and know that He is not asleep. He is not idly sitting by, He hears, He knows, and He is taking action, waking His people up so that we may know and trust Him.  Seek Him so that you may know Him.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila