Praying the Psalms- Psalm 76

Jenny is on a journey of praying her way through the Psalms.  I was fortunate enough to join at the start.  Each weekend, we pray through one psalm and post our prayer and/or meditations on that psalm as the Lord leads. Check out her journey and join us in Praying the Psalms.

*Catching up on my Praying the Psalms meditations today.*

Psalm 76

"From heaven you pronounced judgment, 
   and the land feared and was quiet— 
when you, O God, rose up to judge, 
   to save all the afflicted of the land. 
                         Selah

Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, 
   and the survivors of your wrath are restrained."  Ps 76: 8-10

Sometimes it takes His judgment to quiet us; His wrath to make us see His power.  Too often we rail against Him and His way; not even aware that we need Him to save us.  


As I read this psalm this morning I was reminded of an incident with my daughter at the pool a few days ago.  It was her first time riding on an inner tube on a lazy river. We were going to take this gentle ride together on a double tube.  We got into the shallow water and walked out with the tube into a crowd of people at the start of the ride.  As I lifted her on to the inner tube, she began to flail and squirm in panic.  I almost dropped her in the water several times as I struggled to get her safely in the tube and out of the large crowd and flow of the river.  The only choice I had was to be rough with her both in tone of voice and in physically getting her into the tube.  If she had continued to squirm and fight me, she was likely going to slip through the tube and under the water.  It was out of my love for her and concern for her well being that I reacted this way.


How often do I flail in panic at the circumstances of my own life?  But aren't they designed for my good out of His love and concern for me?  When the storm gets too big to fight any longer, that's when I am quieted- and saved.  And I am learning to bring Him praise for everything He allows.


Father, I pray that You would help me to remember that even Your judgment and wrath are for my good- to quiet me, to save me from myself, to teach me how to glorify You in all things and at all times.  Thank You for Your precious Word and for how You speak to me personally through it.  In Jesus' name, amen.