Freed from danger and restraint - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Psalm 129:1-3,

They have greatly oppressed me from my youth —
let Israel say —
they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
But the Lord is righteous;
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

As is today, Israel has her many enemies, as the psalmist observes,
from her beginning, "They have greatly oppressed me from my youth..."
Her enemies are seen as "the wicked" who have made their efforts to
destroy her. "Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrow long."

But the psalmist takes heart in the fact that the wicked have never
been successful to destroy Israel completely. He notes that the wicked
have not gained the victory over Israel. This is due to the
righteousness of the Lord who has cut Israel "free from the cords of
death."

This speaks to me of our deliverance by the Lord from our enemies. The
church today is despised by the world, "Do not be surprised, my
brothers, if the world hates you." I John 3:13. We have an enemy in
the devil, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter
5:8. Our own sinful natures, "So then, I myself in my mind am a slave
to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
Romans 7:25. We have even had God as our enemy, "When we were God's
enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son..."
Romans 5:10.

Not only were we delivered from God's own wrath through Jesus Christ,
God has delivered us from all our enemies. "Everyone born of God
overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world,
even our faith." 1 John 5:4. Also, "Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ
Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin
and death." Romans 8:1-2.

God has provided victory over all our enemies in Jesus Christ. As
believers we have been freed from all that might endanger or restrain
us. We have freedom in Jesus Christ to live our lives with and for our
Creator. This will culminate in our safe arrival in the resurrection
of eternal life as members of God's own family with a seat at his
table!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com