Psalm 65:8 - June 30, 2009

Ps 65:8 "Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy." NIV

What happens in your heart when the Lord shakes the heavens and the earth? What happens inside your inner most being when you witness God’s awesome deeds? For those who are far away from Him the wonders of God awaken the knowledge that many things are not within the power of human control and with that knowledge comes the possibility of God. When a force with such power that it is beyond man’s capacity to restrain it is demonstrated it humbles man and reminds him that he is finite, that there may yet be a God that has the right to make demands of us. In these moments those who are far from God may rage but they are left with the knowledge that their own strength is limited and when the power of these wonders comes close enough to their lives that it touches their comfortable existence and shakes their security then for a few there comes that crisis moment that draws them to cry out and discover the reality of the living God. In all of this God remains constant, reaching out to man in mercy, seeking to restore all men and all things to a right place before Him.
God allows one man to perish in calamity to call to all men with a warning that their deeds will be accounted for in the end and that nothing escapes the notice of the living God and yet He does not take pleasure even in the death of the one that is swept away in the storm. Ezek 18:22-23 states clearly “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” God seeks to turn the heart not destroy the sinful!
The second half of verse eight reveals God’s true desire! He wants the earth to recognize His greatness and sing His praise. This verse brings to mind the words of Jesus as He spoke to the Pharisees when they reacted to the praises that the people were lifting up to Jesus in Luke 19:40 "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out ." This response is an emphatic statement that GOD WILL BE PRAISED!!! If man will not humble himself and give praise to his creator then God will raise up the creation itself to do the job! But the good news is that God gives us reason to praise Him. “Where morning dawns and evening fades” God awakens praise within the hearts of those who love Him. So many times I have been awakened to the sound of a new song, singing of the wonders of God, lifting up praise to God for all that He has done. God will awaken the heart to sing! Invite Him to place that praise in your heart today!