Psalm 68:19-27
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”
24 Your procession, God, has come into view, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
26 Praise God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.
27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. [1]
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This section of the psalm depicts God as the one who defeats the enemies. He saves his people from death and provides a decisive victory over His enemies, culminating in a celebration at the sanctuary.
Do we see our worship services as victory celebrations? Sin, death and the devil have been overcome by the cross and resurrection. Every time we gather as His people to hear His word and take part in His supper, we are celebrating that victory and rejoicing in its outcome: resurrection and forgiveness. One of the liturgical hymns of praise (which we haven’t used in a few years at St. John’s), captures this thought: “This is the feast of victory for our God! Alleluia!”
This is one of the purposes of coming together to worship regularly. We are not only reminded of Christ’s victory, but we join together in celebrating it. Despite the ample evidence around us and in us that we are still living in the brokenness of a fallen world, we have the chance to celebrate that we are citizens of the new creation, of the victory, and that Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension define the ultimate reality of our world and our future.
So my prayer today is that the Holy Spirit would keep me mindful of the victory that Christ has won for me. I am praying especially today for those who are needing the comfort and encouragement of His victory.
NOTE: Our Leadership Team will be away the next two days at a planning retreat. The Abide Devotion will return on Thursday, May 26.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 68:19–27). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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