WEDNESDAY 28th
Psalm 62
NIV (v11) – ‘One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God . . .”’
ESV (v11) – ‘Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God . . .’
As I read this verse a song came to my mind which I immediately looked up, I found it in SOF and it is 131 in the combined edition of books one and two, ‘God has spoken to his people’. The psalmist says in our verse that ‘One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard’ he then announces what it was that God had spoken and the two things he had heard, ‘Power belongs to God . . .’.
What a statement to make, but even more so what a statement to believe and to stand upon. Yesterday our psalm was about standing on the Rock that is higher than I, and one of the reasons why the Rock is higher than I is because he is the all-powerful, omnipotent God. Truly we can hear the thing that was spoken, and we can believe it, ‘that power belongs to God’.
In the early days of sending out the devotions my theme was looking at how God has demonstrated his power—to remind you; 1) in salvation, 2) for such a time as this in the life of Esther, 3) to protect and to deliver in the lives of the Hebrew lads, 4) in his voice taking from Psalm 29, 5) in praise and worship as seen with Paul and Silas in Acts 16, 6) in the message of the Cross, 7) and finally we looked at God’s power in the realm of healing. There were many other ways we could have looked at the power of God, but today’s text is a reminder that ‘power belongs to God’ and sometimes we need to be reminded of this. Going back to the song that came to my mind it was the last few words in the final verse ‘Powers of darkness we remind you, of Christ’s victory on the Cross, hear the truth we are declaring, Jesus won, and you have lost.’ POWER BELONGS TO GOD’ It is in the first verse of Hebrews chapter one that we are again reminded that God has spoken, first through the prophets and then finally through his Son, and God’s speaking through his Son is the greatest demonstration of His power, for as we are reminded in another song, ‘For this purpose, Christ was revealed, to destroy all the works of the evil one’ and it continues that ‘Christ in us has overcome, so with gladness we sing and welcome his kingdom in.’
The enemy thought he had power, but all power belongs to God, the enemy thought he had authority, but all authority belongs to God, the enemy thought when he tempted the pair in the garden that he had won, but already God’s power was at work to bring about redemption and reconciliation to mankind.
And ultimately there is going to be a day when those who are the redeemed of the Lord will gather around the heavenly throne, joining with the host of heaven singing with loud voice and with a victorious shout ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb . . . Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and POWER and MIGHT be to our God forever and ever! Amen’ Revelation 7
Take heart today, take strength today, receive the peace of God today in all your circumstances for POWER BELONGS TO GOD, he is sovereign, he is in control, he is able.