SCRIPTURE: Psalm 78
When a child is being disciplined, what they usually sense is their parents displeasure and anger.
Even though their parent’s heart may be throbbing with love, the child will not likely sense it.
In this Psalm, Asaph reviews Israel’s history: God’s gracious help, Israel’s stubborn ingratitude, and God’s discipline.
Asaph is aware of God’s anger, but the main focus of this Psalm is God’s mercy.
Through it all, God provides, God forgives, God returns, God helps.
What do you sense primarily when you review your own life – Love or discipline? Anger or mercy?
Asaph was able to review his life, and see God’s hand of mercy weaving through his circumstances.
An honest reflection of our own lives will reveal our own patterns of stubbornness, God’s mercy and discipline.
Through it all, God provides, God forgives, God returns, God helps — God’s heart throbbing with love.
For Asaph, David is the symbol of God’s mercy, providing a great king to help and guide them.
For us, it is the Son of David, symbol of both discipline (cross) and mercy (forgiveness, new life).
Take time to honestly review your life, and you too will begin to sense God’s love beneath it all.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, I see Your hand in my life. You have done way more than I realize, way more than I deserve. There are things that I don’t understand, and things that bother me. But I choose to focus on Your love, I choose to trust You through it all.