527_It is good to be on God’s side

Psalm 94: 1-15 O Lord, God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
repay to the proud what they deserve!
3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O Lord,
and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the sojourner,
and murder the fatherless;
7 and they say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

8 Understand, O dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge—
11 the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are but a breath.

12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him rest from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.

There is a story told about President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. One evening, as he was leaving the White House chapel after a prayer service, a concerned woman stopped him and said, “Mr. President, I truly hope the Lord is on our side in this conflict.” Lincoln gently replied, “Madam, my greatest concern is not whether God is on our side. My greatest concern is whether we are on God’s side—for God is always right.”

That timeless statement captures the heart of Psalm 94. When the world around us seems to crumble, when injustice flourishes, when the wicked seem untouchable in their arrogance, the question is not whether God will step in, but whether we are living on His side. It is good to be on God’s side, because His justice never fails, His discipline is never wasted, and His love never forsakes His people.

Psalm 94 begins with a cry for justice. The psalmist addresses God as the “God of vengeance” and the “Judge of the earth,” crying, “Rise up, O Judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!” (v.2). These words remind us of Abraham’s appeal before God concerning Sodom: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). The psalmist knows that the God he prays to is not a tribal deity, confined to one people or place, but the universal Judge who rules over all nations, all times, and all people. He is the one to whom all must one day give an account.

The psalmist then brings before God the arrogance of the wicked. They are not foreign enemies; they are “the dullest of the people” among God’s own nation. They oppress the feeble, the widow, the sojourner, and the fatherless—those who should be cherished and protected in a godly community. Their sin is not just cruelty but also presumption. They live as if God neither sees nor cares. They say in effect, “The Lord does not notice.” How foolish to think that the One who formed the eye cannot see, or the One who planted the ear cannot hear! The psalmist reminds them that the God who disciplines nations will not fail to correct His people.

And here is an important lesson: God’s discipline, though painful at times, is a great blessing. “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law” (v.12). The psalmist sees discipline not as rejection but as love. It is God’s way of steering His people back to righteousness, protecting them from ultimate ruin. Another psalm echoes this thought: “Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it” (Psalm 141:5). If we receive God’s correction with humility, it becomes the very means by which He molds us into holiness and saves us from destruction.

Perhaps you can remember a time when God’s correction felt hard but later proved to be a blessing. A door was closed that you desperately wanted open, a plan failed despite your best effort, or a painful rebuke exposed your hidden sin. In the moment, it stung. Yet later, you realized God was protecting you, shaping you, and saving you from a worse fate. Discipline, rightly received, is always grace in disguise.

The psalmist continues with words of hope: “The Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage” (v.14). What a precious assurance! Nations may crumble, wicked men may boast, the righteous may suffer, but God never forsakes His own. His justice will return, and those who are upright in heart will follow it. If you are on God’s side, you may be pressed, but you will not be abandoned; you may stumble, but you will not be cast off.

From verse 16 onward, the psalm takes on a deeply personal tone. The psalmist shares his own testimony of God’s goodness in times of distress. “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence” (v.17). He recalls how the steadfast love of God upheld him when his foot was slipping. He speaks of the consolation found in the Lord: “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul” (v.19). What a beautiful description of the comfort of God! The world’s comfort is shallow and fleeting, but God’s consolation penetrates to the depths of the heart, bringing cheer in the darkest night.

The psalmist concludes with confidence: “But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge” (v.22). Though adversaries surrounded him, he knew that God was his refuge and that the wicked, however prosperous they might seem for a season, would not escape judgment. The God of justice would bring them down.

This psalm teaches us a vital truth: it is always blessed to be on God’s side. The wicked may enjoy temporary success, but in the light of eternity, they are losers. The righteous, though oppressed for a time, have an unshakable future. Proverbs 23:17-18 reminds us, “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Let us then draw this home in a practical way. What does it mean for us, in our day-to-day lives, to be on God’s side? It means living with reverence for Him, even when the world scoffs. It means choosing righteousness over compromise, even when compromise seems easier. It means trusting His discipline as a sign of His love and His commitment to our eternal good. It means clinging to Him when life feels unfair, knowing that His consolations can cheer our souls in ways no earthly comfort can.

Being on God’s side may sometimes place us in the minority. It may expose us to ridicule, loss, or even persecution. But the psalmist’s testimony assures us that we are never truly alone. God Himself becomes our stronghold, our rock of refuge. And in the end, His justice will prevail.

Lincoln’s words still ring true today: our greatest concern is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on His. Psalm 94 reminds us that to be on God’s side is to be on the side of justice, truth, mercy, and everlasting hope. It is to be anchored in the only refuge that cannot be shaken.

So let us not envy the wicked. Let us not despair when injustice seems to rule. Instead, let us continue in the fear of the Lord all day long, confident that there is a future, and our hope will not be cut off. For it is always good—infinitely good—to be on God’s side. God bless.