Daily Devotion

April 26, 2006

Psa 119:134 Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.

Many understand the keeping of God’s precepts as something they “have” to do; the point is that it is something we “get” to do!

Man’s governments usually work against the keeping of God’s biblically established precepts. Because of man’s sinful nature, governments have to enforce their own laws in order to keep order, and protect their citizens.  When these laws are the product of secularism and/or special interest religious groups and denominations, there is an element of oppression for the people of God who are supposed to be led by God only, via the Holy Spirit.

In the Word it is encouraged for God’s children to follow the local governmental laws in order to live in peace with all men an be able to be free to continue preaching the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15).  But when these laws start to be diametrically opposed to the basic spiritual rules of God’s kingdom, then we are told that it is better to obey God than to obey man (Acts 5:29).  Even now, the pure spirit of the people of God yearns to be free (Rom 8:23).

It is only in the millennial era that this prayer from King David will be fully answered.  Only then, when the world is fully controlled by Jesus the Christ Himself, will we be completely free from the oppression of man’s governments (Rev 20:4).  Not only is it hard to live today in the morals and spiritual realm that we could be, but also the Bible tells us that it will become harder, even to just be a Christian or a God believing person (Rev 13:7).

This is not meant to make us fear, because we know that in the end, Jesus is the victorious conqueror of our souls and of the world.

Rev 20:1-10  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  (2)  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  (3)  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  (4)  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (5)  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  (6)  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  (7)  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  (8)  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  (9)  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  (10)  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Patrick Lumbroso
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