Psalm 83

Psalm 83:1  “O God, don’t sit idly by, silent and inactive!”.

Psalm 83 is the last Psalm of Asaph and a prayer for God to rescue his people, the Israelites. The first verse alerts us to the urgency of the situation.  There are times when we are waiting for God to move and in all of our humanity we wonder and start to worry……”O God, don’t sit idly by, silent and inactive!”. What is He doing? Does He really care about us? Will he allow the enemy to take over and win? Is there a plan? When will it happen? When will we see His victory?

The enemies were all around Israel. They prayed that God would bring them through as He had so many times before.  The evidence of His power was shown to them through defeats of the Midianites and many others.  What moments can you recall throughout your life where God rescued you? Do you believe God will continue to fight for you as He has in the past?

The Israelites are God’s chosen people. He has continued to take care of them to this day.  While this prayer was meant for the protection of the Israelites it is pertinent in our lives today. As believers in Jesus we are also chosen. I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and is the blueprint for our lives. As I watch things unfold in our world today I catch myself relating to the cry, “O God, don’t sit idly by, silent and inactive”.  I am concerned about the future if it continues on its current trajectory. But I also know that God has done many miraculous things already and He will continue to do so. I have faith that He is not “sitting idly by, silent and inactive”. He is Lord over all. Our prayer should be that all would come to know the power and love of our savior Jesus.

Psalm 83:13-18 O my God, blow them away like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind! As a fire roars through a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, chase them with your fierce storms; terrify them with your tempest. Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Make them failures in everything they do, until they learn that you alone are called the Lord, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.