“Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name.'”
There is something about genuine strength. For the good of the greater whole it helps surrender chaos in favor of order. Anarchy is exchanged for civility.
Parents whose word is meant, know the incredible power of this. Their kiddos may desire to misbehave at the grocery store, but they will obey mom because when she issues a warning, she means it.Society that weakens the ability for law enforcement to act, see a rise in violent crime. But if that same city elects/hires a police commissioner who makes it clear that abuse and scoffing of laws will be met with rigid enforcement… Crime subsides.
Some may read this and place the importance of the “feigned obedience.” In fact many parenting books will argue that conformity is not real obedience because they are not yet obeying in their heart.
But those that do miss the point.
The focus of this verse is God’s greatness–not man’s depravity. And here it is pointed out that his genuine, authentic, greatness restrains the evil and actions of those with ill intent.
And that’s good for all. For the evil doer is at worst delayed but perhaps even fully dissuaded from acting. It is good for all others because that evil is stifled, not encouraged.I go back again to the very word picture that caused me to begin this journaling mostly in or about the psalms. “Aslan’s ROAR is of equal ferocity to both the predator and the cub. To one a fierce reminder that he is in the safest place he can be playing in Aslan’s mane. To the other the ferocity represents that very warning that they will be destroyed if they tangle with him this day.”
The restraint of evil is ALWAYS good!
Though it may not address an individual’s spiritual needs, it can not be argued that the world is a better place when evil is forced to the shadows and reviled in the light.
