Psalm 76

1 In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.
2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

Key Verse:
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.

Key Observation:
Our God Reigns!

Memory Verse:
9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

Devotion:
It is utterly useless to resist the Lord. When He returns all of the war will end with a rebuke; all shall be stopped at once. Revelation tells us that we will be following the Word of God (Jesus) at that point. (the armies of heaven). A voice from heaven will declare,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
You who fear him,
both small and great.”

My friends, I shall be there. One of the “small” ones in case you are wondering. Together we shall raise the greatest shout ever:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give Him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
Revelation tells us that the linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. During all of the tribulation nary a word is said on the church. Did you listen to that? In the great section of Revelation, the church is NOT mentioned. This is true from chapter 4 to chapter 19. In chapter 19, who shows up behind the Lord? I do! And you too, if you have believed. For we are “saved from the wrath to come” and while the rest of the world has suffered the judgment of God, we have been making visible acquaintance with our Lord that will last through eternity. Of the wicked left: “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

Paul tells us in Timothy that “There will be terrible times in the last days (NIV).” We will wax worse and worse, and the church herself will be afflicted, for the time will come, says Paul, when men will not put up with sound doctrine. “Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (NIV). I have met many professing Christians over the years, some of whom are in obvious self-deception and belong to cults. In every one of these cults you will find a common factor: they will not define Jesus as the Son of God, the only begotten, and the only one to whom God has provided salvation to the world. But those in cults are fairly easy for dedicated Christians to detect; their false doctrines do not ring with truth and they are rejected out of hand. It is the weak Christian who knows not what he believes that lies in the greatest danger from being led astray.

This psalm reminds us that the battle, yet to be fought, is already won. Though Jesus may linger awhile yet; still He shall surely come. What must I do to be ready? There is nothing that any of us can do except to believe God. If I come to a difficult passage of scripture, then I may tell God, “God, I do not understand this passage, but I believe. Help me to understand it.” Every believer, even me, has the Holy Spirit given to him. Is not the job of the Spirit to convict us of the righteousness of Christ? Will he not give us understanding into the deep mysteries of God? Oh, Spirit of God, fill me, that I may both understand and proclaim Jesus until our “Blessed Hope” does appear. Our God will reign!

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him,
Who brings good news, good news;
Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness.
Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns!

Our God reigns! Our God reigns!
Our God reigns! Our God reigns!
Our God reigns! Our God reigns!
Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

He had no stately form, He had no majesty
That we should be drawn to Him.
He was despised and we took no account of Him.
Yet now He reigns, with the Most High.