January 10
Hope in who He is
The LORD is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. Psalms 129:4 (NKJV)
Sir Winston Churchill once said, "No thoughtful man can deny the fact that they [the Jews] are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world."
He's right. Anyone who opens the history books will find that the nation of Israel has faced and overcome more challenges than any other group of people who've ever existed. Wave after wave of persecution and even genocide since the days of Moses to our own lifetimes has not annihilated the nation of Israel.
What accounts for this? How is it that this nation of former slaves has managed to run the global tables against all odds?
The Psalmist hits the nail on the head in the passage above. Quite simply, Israel was able to withstand every trial because the Lord is righteous. True to His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1, He has miraculously preserved His people and has cut the cords of the wicked who've come against them.
There can be no other explanation. It doesn't lie in the in the wealth or wisdom of any man, not in the genius or expertise of Israel's leaders and politicians. At the end of the day it's not about what Israel is but about who God is. He is righteous and does right by His people. Their hope is in who He is and nothing else.
What a timely lesson for us, as well. God is for us (Romans 8:31), and when challenges mount and rise up against us, we need to remember that our hope in overcoming them rests not in who we are but in who God is. He is righteous, and nothing in this world can or ever will change that.
Righteous One, we place our hope in You to be all that we aren't. Rise up and give us victory over anything that comes against us.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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