Of all the things we need to work on, our view of God should be the priority. What God is like and what He’s about impact everything in our life of faith. Faith itself is only as good as the God in whom it rests. So what happens when we have an inadequate view of Him?
The Psalms can shore up our knowledge of our Maker because these songs extol all of His virtues, not just one or two. Every single need we have is covered by His attributes, and that is because His nature not only is immense and infinite, but intimate. God cares about you.
Recently I was taken by a little gem tucked away in what seemed like an unlikely place. Psalm 68 is a poem of God’s victory and power, about how His enemies are scattered “as smoke is blown by the wind,” and “as wax melts before fire.” It pictures the earth shaking, enemy camps being plundered, and, for good measure, a victory march.
But in the midst of the battle chaos, this Conquering Warrior is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,” the one who “provided for the poor” (vv. 9, 10). I think it may be easier for us to believe the Warrior part than the widow part. But it’s crucial that we see these as two sides of the same coin.
God did not have to create us, or anything else. That He did create begs the question of why, and the answer is “for His own glory.” But His glory is linked to His attributes, and He desires everyone to know what He is like. So He ties His works to our world and our worries. He comforts us while He conquers our enemies. But that’s not all.
David, himself a warrior and successful conqueror (1 Chronicles 18), who must have understood how busy a general would be in the midst of a fierce battle, adds,
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.”
That is not only worth pondering but memorizing, and praying over. What burden would you like Him to bear for you today? He is our Conquering Sovereign and Righteous Lord, humbly at your service.
“Almighty God, we thank your that none of our burdens is too great for you to bear nor too small for you to see. Help us this day to roll our burdens onto your wide shoulders, and trust ourselves to your care, in the midst of our battle. In the name of Jesus. Amen.