Psalm 76:5–12
5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep:
And none of the men of might have found their hands.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared:
And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared, and was still,
9 When God arose to judgment,
To save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee:
The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
11 Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God:
Let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.
A few years ago while exercising at the gym a teenage boy approached and paid me a compliment.
He said that I looked like I could play ball and asked If I would join his pick up basketball game since they were needing one more player.
I have to be candid with y’all, my big ole bald head swelled just a bit.
“Why yes, I play a little!”
That is what I said. It wasn’t completely the truth, I hadn’t played in years. I didn’t intentionally lie, my mind still thinks that I am the same guy from almost thirty years ago.
I started to play, I got the pass, my young defender was in front of me in his defensive stance. This bald believer now had his opportunity to prove he still has skills.
I decided to show the youngin’ my famed killer crossover. I had developed this move during many hours of dribbling practice in my parents basement.
“Yea, that’s what I’ll do, that always gets them!!”
Here was the plan…
I would go one direction, let him lunge to one side to stop my movement and then I would quickly change directions. I will switch my dribble to the other hand and use his momentum against him.
I thought, “I’m going to break this poor youngin’s ankles”
I started my move, crossed over the other hand as I changed direction with lightning speed.
The teen easily recovered, reached out and took the ball away as though I had served it on a silver platter.
When I was playing ball in high school I referred to myself as “vanilla thunder” but I had now become “vanilla blunder”.
Boy, did I feel foolish, I guess my killer crossover was not so killer after all. It used to work on the court every time, now it only works in my mind.
Ok, what is the point?
The psalmist wrote
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee” Psalm 76:10
Our God has a great crossover. He has this wonderful ability to use the momentum of his enemies against them. He lets them exert all their energy in opposition only to find they were accomplishing his purpose all along.
Even the wrath of those that oppose him can bring the Lord glory and be redirected to accomplish his will.
Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him into slavery. What Joesph’s brothers meant for evil, God used for good.
but as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Gen 50:20
Even the devil’s wrath against the Son of God resulted in resurrection and our redemption.
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8
Unlike me, God’s glory doesn’t fade.
Rest assured all things will work together for good and for God’s glory.
He really does have a killer cross-over!
My Readings for 6/22/20