INFLUENCE
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, open my eyes to see You.
Read Psalm 11
For the director of music. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.
7 For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
One day you will see God face to face (7).Do you ever despair at developments in your culture or in the church? Ever since the 1960s, Western societies have been abandoning their Christian foundations. In this psalm, David expresses similar feelings about his kingdom. Possibly, it was written during the early days of Absalom’s conspiracy (2 Sam. 15:1–6). The foundations of a God-fearing culture were being destroyed. What should God’s people do? Retreat? Verse 4 is a resounding “No!”
First, acknowledge that God is still on the throne (4). When God’s people suffer opposition, it isn’t evidence of God’s absence, it’s the norm (John 15:19). Your God is still in control, and he sees it all (4b)—do not despair. Secondly, God’s people are to lay the foundations again. Samuel re-established the covenant (1 Sam. 12), Ezra rebuilt the Temple, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and David himself laid the foundations for the Temple to be built by his son (1 Chron. 22).
How can the church rebuild its foundations? What influence can you have in the lives of those around you, or in your church, to help rebuild God’s church on the foundation of the Bible (Eph. 2:20) with Jesus at the center?
Apply
One of the most formative experiences in my life was simply seeing my mom sitting by the fire reading her Bible and praying every morning. What influence can you have?
Closing prayer
Pray for your influence over those closest to you and in your church.
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