*DAILY MANNA*

*THURSDAY 14 JANUARY, 2021*

*BLOODY CONFEDERATES*

*TEXT PSALMS 83:1-8.

_*🔑KEY VERSE*
*"For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee" (PSALMS 83:5).*

Heaven's justice principles are such that those who gang up against the weak but godly people become the target of God's anger.

From our text, the psalmist was alarmed with a sense of urgency as he implored God to arise for His people and His chosen ones. He asked Him not to be silent while wicked nations plotted against the righteous. About twelve nations whose common purpose was to destroy Israel, God's people were mentioned in this alliance.

There is nothing wrong when nations pull their resources to achieve a greater good. As a matter of fact, it brings about economy of scale, reduces costs and produces better results. But when the alliance is about subjugating a sovereign and independent nation or to punish and destroy the innocent, such alliance leaves much to be desired. Those who plan with their fellow wicked men to overthrow and rob unsuspecting innocent people of their rights should remember that God does not support evil no matter how many people or nations are involved. Coup plotters who attempt to change the social and economic order for their selfish aims usually face the full wrath of the law if they are caught.

So also, the Lord will punish severely those who plot evil against their neighbours, in hope of advancing their selfish aim. The selfish instinct in the strong to subdue and subjugate the less endowed has always been the cause of the oppressions in many societies. Many suffer unjustly today and are deprived of what rightfully belong to them because of the high-handedness of the privileged elites. However, God, who is not a respecter of persons, will ultimately bring judgment upon those evil men who delight in the suffering of fellow humans.

*✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY* Combined effort to do evil will surely boomerang.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR* GENESIS 41-44.

*MEDITATION*

*PETITIONING HEAVEN AGAINST SUPPOSED CRUEL ENEMIES*

*1. Traits of cruel enemies*
a. They are not personal enemies but enemies that hate the Lord and they are not even hiding it, v2.
b. They roar like unconquerable waves of the sea against God's counsel and plans, v2.
c. They hatch evil and satanic plans against the righteous and the people of God, v3.
d. They operate evil networks in order to destroy and strike God's plans and people, vv4,5,6,8.
e. At times they are confederate against God's purpose for a whole nation, family or community including the church of God, vv5-8.
f. They generally use mysterious and magical powers to achieve their purpose.
g. Sometimes the spiritual people only sense their activities without seeing them physically, vv2,3.
h. Those kind of enemies are prepared to maim, murder, massacre and destroy destinies of many.
*Q* Are you sensitive enough to observe the operations of such cruel adversaries against your nation, church, community or family?🤔
*Q* what should be the believers prayers for these categories of enemies?🤷‍♂️ Luke 18:4, 5,7.

*2. Prayer for divine judgement on cruel enemies*

a. *"keep not thou silence, O God"* is a prayer to provoke God to action against the unrepentant cruel enemies, v1.
b. *"Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God"* is a prayer of earnest importunity to God to arise and judge, v2.
c. *"They have taken crafty counsel against thy people"* is a prayer of reporting the cruel adversaries to God to deal with them, v5. See Luke 18:4,5,6.
*Note* Networks of unrepentant kidnappers, bandits, witchcrafts, wizardry etc in any community, religious or secular, need prayers of petition for God to deal with them. Ecclesiastics 8:11.

*PRAYER POINTS*

1. Lord, let *your judgments come* over all the evil networks in the Church🙏
2. Lord, *destroy* all the gathering together of evil people against my destiny and family🙏
3. God of judgement, *visit and expose*, in your anger, all the hiding places of ritualists, kidnappers and bandits destroying lives and properties in this nation🙏
4. Lord, arise by fire and *destroy* all the enemies and their agenda against the gospel in this nation🙏
5. Oh *Lord*, keep your church pure and purged *from all conferate* of evil neighbours and prove your faithfulness to your people.

*HYMN*

*IF GOD BE FOR US*

1. Rejoice in the Lord! O let His mercy, cheer,
He sunders the bands that enthral;
Redeemed by His blood, why should we ever fear,
Since Jesus is our “all in all?”

*Refrain
“If God be for us, if God be for us,
If God be for us,
Who can be against us,
Who, who, who?
Who can be against us, against us?”

2. Be strong in the Lord! Rejoicing in His might,
Be loyal and true day by day;
When evils assail, be valiant for the right,
And He will be our strength, our stay.
*Refrain*

3. Confide in His Word, His promises so sure;
In Christ they are “yea, and amen”;
Tho’ earth pass away, they ever shall endure,
‘Tis written o’e