In my country, the
Now it is certainly debatable whether it is true.
OT Israel didn’t have an official slogan, but certainly IN YAHWEH WE TRUST could have been their national slogan. I was struck by this as I read the opening of today’s Psalm.
We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever (1-8).
At least this was the way it was supposed to be or had been at the beginning. But apparently it was no longer... for God was punishing them. And the Psalmist, seemingly to my ears a little self-righteously, pleads with God (Yahweh) that
Even though there may have been some self-righteousness in the Psalmist, at least he’s turning in the correct direction… he turned to the Lord.
I fear my country will not do this. In my modern time GOD is now generic, god, almost any higher being as long as god is open to many beliefs with none being better than any other.
I could leave this blog as a national lament, but what
God forgive me. God, I turn back to You. Show me my sin that I might confess it and return to You my Lord and my God. Amen.
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