psalm 74

In today’s psalm we see the psalmist mourning the oppression and injustice that the nation of Israel faces at the hands of the ungodly. In this psalm the psalmist recounts the power of God, and the control that He has over all the earth, acknowledging his kingship, and all that lies within His control. The elements, like water and light, God alone controls these… no matter what appearances may communicate we know that ultimately God is the King of the Universe.

Having said this, we currently have a pretender to the throne, an individual acting as God of this age, and prince of the power of the air… none other than Satan himself. How did this happen? Maybe a little history lesson is in order…

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth all He made was His DOMINION. Having made man in His image and according to His likeness, He gave man a certain set of responsibilities. God invested soul and spirit within man, something animals don’t have… He also gave man the ability to reflect His glory in a unique way. In addition to these BLESSINGS He gave man the specific responsibility of exercising dominion over creation.

When man sinned, he forfeited his right to all of this, and Satan came into a position of power. With the entrance of sin, man was now under the control of a new master, and we read that the course sinful man walks today is one ordered and controlled by the devil.

When Jesus came and died on the cross, it was a full frontal assault on the kingdom of this world and its god, Satan. The battle was won then and there… Jesus dethroned Satan and bought back the right to the throne! Though Satan was defeated, he is still trying to bring down as many of us as he can with Him.

We live in an in-between time, a period in history where God has purchased back the RIGHTS to this world, but has not yet RECLAIMED it. The suffering, the death, the evil that surrounds us, it is all a result of an enemy occupation. Satan continues to try and STEAL, KILL and DESTROY. His days are numbered, and His reign of terror will soon come to an end. In the mean-time, we need to keep things in perspective. God is mighty to save, but is patient. He doesn’t just want Satan overthrown; He wants to release as many captives as possible. As we wait and ask the question “how long, oh Lord”, we need to remember that our time here is to be spent carrying the good news to the captives that surround us… JESUS HAS SET US FREE!