{"id":2018,"date":"2011-04-03T02:47:43","date_gmt":"2011-04-03T06:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2011-03-30T16:51:38","modified_gmt":"2011-03-30T20:51:38","slug":"how-does-god-bring-destruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/04\/how-does-god-bring-destruction.html","title":{"rendered":"How Does God Bring Destruction?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Does God Bring Destruction?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Psalm 46:1-11<\/a><\/p>\n

Come, see the glorious works of the LORD:
\nSee how he brings destruction upon the world.
\nHe causes wars to end throughout the earth.
\nHe breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
\nhe burns the shields with fire.<\/p>\n

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\n
\n

Psalm 46:8-9<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n

Psalm 46 is one of my favorite psalms. When I\u2019m leading a retreat at Laity Lodge, I almost always read this psalm to begin one of our sessions. The psalm writer packed so much into these eleven verses, from the assurance that God is \u201cour refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble\u201d (46:1) to the Lord\u2019s own command in verse 10, \u201cBe still, and know that I am God!\u201d<\/p>\n

In the middle of Psalm 46, we find one of the most curious, ironic, and ultimately moving passages in the whole psalter. It begins with an invitation: \u201cCome, see the glorious works of the Lord\u201d (46:8). We might expect to be reminded of the beauty of the countryside or the majesty of the heavens. But Psalm 46 takes a surprising turn: \u201cSee how he brings destruction upon the world.\u201d The Hebrew word translated as \u201cdestruction\u201d is shammot<\/em>, a plural noun that literally means \u201cdestructions, desolations, horrors.\u201d See the terrible things God has done? What sense does this make? Why should we want to study God\u2019s destructions?<\/p>\n

We find an answer in verse 9: \u201cHe causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.\u201d So what does God destroy? War and the weapons of war! God destroys the destroying things of this world. God breaks that which breaks people. God defeats tyranny and violence.<\/p>\n

Indeed, it will be glorious when the Lord finally brings destruction to all that wreaks havoc upon our world. Psalm 46 invites us to peer into the future, to the time when God\u2019s peace will fill the earth as he reigns completely. In the meanwhile, we are encouraged by this future vision to celebrate God\u2019s power and to be peacemakers in every area of our lives. To be sure, we cannot usher in the peace of the kingdom by our own efforts. But we can cooperate with God as his agents of restoration, healing, justice, and peace. We do this with hope inspired by Psalm 46.<\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> In what ways have you observed or experienced God\u2019s ironic \u201cdestruction\u201d? In what areas of life do you have the opportunity to extend the peace of Christ? How might you be a peacemaker in your relationships? your family? your workplace? your church? your community? your city?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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PRAYER:<\/strong> All praise be to you, O God, because your works are glorious.<\/p>\n

All praise be to you, O God, because your destructions bring wholeness.<\/p>\n

All praise be to you, O God, because you cause wars to cease.<\/p>\n

All praise be to you, O God, because you break the weapons of war.<\/p>\n

All praise be to you, O God, because you are bringing peace to the earth.<\/p>\n

All praise be to you, O God, because the day will come when you will reign fully and finally over all creation. Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?<\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/em> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Does God Bring Destruction? Psalm 46:1-11 Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Psalm 46:8-9 Psalm 46 is one of my favorite psalms.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[229,242],"class_list":["post-2018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration","tag-psalm-46","tag-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Does God Bring Destruction? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2018"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2020,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018\/revisions\/2020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}