What actions can we take to avoid the fate described in Psalm 79:2? A sober snapshot “They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.” (Psalm 79:2) The picture is of total defeat—God’s people lie unburied, stripped of dignity and covenant blessing. To keep from ever standing in that place of devastation, Scripture lays down clear paths of prevention. What led to such ruin? • Covenant violation – Deuteronomy 28:25-26 links national unfaithfulness with carcasses becoming “food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.” • Persistent idolatry – 2 Kings 17:15-18 shows that turning to idols provoked the Lord “until He removed them from His presence.” • Neglected repentance – Isaiah 1:4-7 portrays a people piling sin upon sin until judgment fell. When holiness is abandoned, God allows enemies to ravage what His people refuse to guard. Actions that guard us from Psalm 79:2 1. Return to wholehearted obedience – “When you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey His voice… then the LORD your God will restore you.” (Deuteronomy 30:2-3) – Obedience renews covenant protection. 2. Reject every idol—visible or hidden – “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21) – Examine entertainment, ambitions, relationships, even ministry goals; anything treasured above Christ must go. 3. Pursue daily holiness – “Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) – Holiness is the firewall that keeps judgment at the door. 4. Keep worship pure and God-centered – “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23) – Guard doctrine, avoid syncretism, and gather faithfully (Hebrews 10:24-25). 5. Embrace God’s discipline early – “Whom the Lord loves He disciplines.” (Hebrews 12:6) – Quick submission to correction spares us harsher measures later. 6. Intercede for the community – “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap.” (Ezekiel 22:30) – Persistent prayer can delay or avert communal judgment. 7. Practice justice and covenant love – “What does the LORD require of you but to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) – Social sin invites national discipline; righteous conduct invites favor. 8. Abide in Christ’s finished work – “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) – Ongoing faith keeps us under the blood that shields from wrath. Why these steps matter • They honor God’s unchanging holiness. • They restore the blessings of covenant security (Psalm 34:7). • They position us for courageous witness rather than catastrophic defeat (Matthew 5:14-16). Living in steadfast assurance “He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:8) Walking in obedient faith does not promise an absence of trials, but it does guarantee God’s nearness, protection, and ultimate vindication—keeping us far from the tragic outcome lamented in Psalm 79:2. |
    |