Monday Reflection – October 25, 2021

Monday Reflection – October 25, 2021
Bold and Faithful Prayer

O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! Even now your enemies are in tumult; those who hate you have raised their heads. Psalm 83:1-2

Psalm 83 is the last of the Asaphian psalms, which began in Psalm 50. Many of these are lamentations concerning the condition of the nation of Israel, especially regarding threats by opposing nations, as also the concerns of the people of God in captivity. Yet, such lamentations are accompanied by hope—hope in the Lord. Like the other psalms of Asaph, we are unsure of the particular setting of this one, only that the nation is enfolded by foes and under threat. The reality is that this was the constant story of the people of Israel, in war battling against opposing nations who desired to wipe them off of the map.

In today’s Watchword, Asaph begins, “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!” This is bold and faithful praying. When we know God, we can speak freely to God. This is not an example of irreverence; rather, it reveals the heart of one who takes God, His Word and His purposes very seriously. Yet, we must not overlook another issue in this verse – the silence of God. The Bible contains many examples of His people beleaguered by troubles while God seems to silently sit by. Note that I said, ‘seems’, because God is never silent, unaware, unconcerned nor inactive. God’s sovereign wisdom, runs the universe according to His perfect clock. God is always working His plan. Job is a perfect example of this. By the way, when God delivered Job, he was not given insight into the whys and wherefores. God remained silent about that. God simply restored Job and that was sufficient for Job to rest in God’s sovereign will. We find ourselves in trouble at times, and we continue to labour and to live trusting God. Yet God seems silent. How should we respond? With bold and faithful praying.

Verse 2 offers some insight into what our prayers should be about – a God-centred concern. Asaph’s concern was not primarily for Israel, but for God. He says, “Even now your enemies are in tumult; those who hate you have raised their heads.”  Note in this verse the usage of the second person: “Your enemies” and “those who hate You”. The plea for God to break His silence is due to a concern for the glory of God’s name. What is our primary concern? What dominates our prayers especially when trouble looms? Is it for our deliverance only? Or is it primarily that God may be glorified through our experience?

When the church is surrounded by scoundrels who clearly hate the Lord, when we observe the arrogance of God-rejecters conspiring to overthrow His rule, when we note the attempts to shut down God’s church and to cut off our influence, then, for the glory of God’s name, we must pray with boldness, “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!”. The events of last week regarding the cultic movement in St. James is very concerning. These groups that call themselves church, yet do not represent nor reflect the principles of Christ’s kingdom is alarming. They bring the church into disrepute, and strengthen those who doubt or question the authenticity and purpose of the church. More than that, they defame God’s name. For them we must boldly and faithfully pray, “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still; may your name always be honoured and glorified!”.   

Jermaine Gibson