Psalm 94

Psalm 94:11 "The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile."

We readily recognize that this statement is true because we are all too aware that even as believers we suffer futile thinking, particularly when we stray from His Word as the barometer for truth. How much more so then those who don't know Him or His truth? Obviously the futility of the thinking of the believer is overwhelming and inescapable.

The Lord knows the thoughts of all men, whether they know Him or not. Since He knows everything this is not difficult for Him. He not only knows all our thoughts, He sees all our actions. After all as the Psalmist reminds us in earlier verses, if God makes the eye, then He sees everything. Since he implanted the ear, He hears everything. Not too difficult for us to understand, but a little convicting to consider.

Psalm 94 is mostly about God being the avenger. The writer is noting the unthinkable cruelty that is being done to the widow, the orphan and the alien. He is disturbed at the actions of senseless leaders who are callous and uncaring about the effects of their indifference to suffering.

The futility that is being illustrated goes beyond the foolish saying there is no God. Not only does He not exist, but He doesn't care and can't see or hear what is going on anyway. As the prophets of Baal once said, "maybe he is on vacation or taking a nap". Of course after God sent the consuming fire, their last thoughts were probably that "I guess He just got home or woke up." God does know, He does hear, He does see, He does care. He is fully conscious of what the unbelievers and believers are doing and thinking.

Vengeance and grace are both His. He will repay and He will forgive. Whichever is right? In this we take comfort, but it should also inspire us to defend the defenseless and to be eyes, ears and voice for them. God has mandated this a number of times in His word. The Psalmist truly cares and cries out to God and so should we.

In His Service,  Pastor Fred

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