[This Firestarter is from the version for families with children.]

Asaph is pretty angry at God’s enemies.  Images run through the whole psalm of God getting back at them.  Asaph wants enemies to stop being so proud and hateful.  He longs that they come to repentance and shame in coming to realize that they are fighting against the God of the whole universe.  The last verse comes as a final wake-up call for them…and for us.

     When you have people coming against you in some way, just pray for them and turn then over to God who wants them to come around to God’s ways and love, just as we are all supposed to do.  Linger with the last verse until you and all those sharing this passage with you find that all the noise of the enemies in your life are brought to silence.  Sometime we can hear these enemies talking inside our own head! Wait quietly until the silence itself speaks of God’s tender loving presence to you.

[Here is the Firestarter from the original version.]

We long for God to intervene in the presence of enemies; so does the psalmist. He uses images of victory and conquest to stir belief that the Lord indeed has power over all enemies.

Those who call themselves your enemy need not be named so by you. Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. Intercede for them with love—much more powerful than all the hatred that might rise before your face. Pray with love so that the kind of shame and confusion described in verse 17 will move your enemies beyond all intrigues, to surrender their lives into God’s great love.

Remember what happened when God’s people ignored divine power when it was needed.

Psalm 83

What are Bible Breaths? Learn More

We follow a reading of the Psalms in numerical order.

For all the Firestarters in the original version I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information