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Topic: Wicked Oppressors
[DCLM Daily Manna 31 July 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Psalm 73:1-28 (KJV)
1 (A Psalm of Asaph.) Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
Key Verse: “How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors”(Psalm 73:19).
MESSAGE:
Having power and authority over others often reveals the true state of a man’s heart. Tyranny is fed and sustained by having an edge over others in some areas of life. The text reveals the actions and attitudes of the wicked rich who pride themselves in their wealth. They would taunt and oppress the poor; they blaspheme God and would say “…How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High?” (Psalm 73:11). What these wicked oppressors do not know is that the most high God is wise in heart. He has predetermined the judgment and the end of such individuals.
The psalmist was almost carried away by the apparent success and stress-free lifestyle of the ungodly who prospered in their own worldly ways.
Today, many are destitute of the fear and grace of God in different spheres of life supposedly ‘making it’ in flagrant disobedience to God’s word and precepts. We should, like the psalmist, reflect on the truth of the Scriptures. Where does the way these men have chosen for themselves take them? And what legacy and posterity are they leaving behind as they eventually exit this life? We should be careful not to be misled into a false hope in short-lived material possessions. We should let the joy of God fill our hearts as we rest on divine supplies. We should follow the examples of the saints of old who walked with God despite their material fortunes.
We can learn much from the patriarch Abraham who did not allow his great wealth to becloud his sense of judgment in relating with his young protégé, Lot. Abraham did not use his enormous riches and influence to lord it over his nephew when there was a strife between their herdsmen over land rights.
Thought For The Day: God’s blessings should not add sorrow to any life or used to oppress others.
The Bible In One Year: 1 Timothy 1–6
