Psalm 68 Devotional

Power That Stoops to the Lonely

“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”Psalm 68:5 (BSB)

Psalm 68 is a victory march. God rises, his enemies scatter, and the wicked melt like wax before fire (68:1-2). Yet in the middle of all that power, the psalm describes God in tender terms. He is a father to children without one, he defends widows, and he gives the lonely a family (68:5-6). The God who rides the clouds (68:4) stoops to those with no one else.

The psalm recalls God marching ahead of his people through the wilderness and shaking the earth at Sinai (68:7-8). Day by day he carries his people's burdens and rescues from death (68:19-20). Then comes a picture of triumph. God ascends on high, leading captives and receiving gifts (68:18). Paul applies this verse to Christ, who ascended and gave gifts to his people (Ephesians 4:7-8). The psalm ends with kingdoms of the earth singing to God (68:32). The one who holds all power uses it to defend the weak. No one is too small for his notice.

To think about: Who in your life is lonely or without protection, and how might God's care for them shape the way you treat them?