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The storms that God allows only further serves to reveal His power and glory within. When we are faced with opposition, we clench tightly to the anchor that we know and trust. In those moments, we realize how much He has already been working. We are able to reflect back and see what would have happened had He not been on our side.
Praise the LORD, who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net; the net is torn, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of Yahweh, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalms 124:6-8 HCSB
Those who oppose God are hell-bent on destruction and turmoil. The fruit of their lives is clearly seen. As the psalmist has written many other times, his enemies respond by spewing hatred from their lips and refusing to repent. He describes them as ravenous beasts and raging waters. The writers of the NT give us practical guidelines for identifying such enemies of God within the church.
But you have had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ, and so all of you know the truth. 21 I write you, then, not because you do not know the truth; instead, it is because you do know it, and you also know that no lie ever comes from the truth.
1 John 2:20-21 GNB
Those filled with the Spirit will not only be cautioned against the work of the enemy, but they will also cling more tightly to the truth of who God is during the storm. This draws a clear line between those who know Christ and those who do not. The storm serves to bring discernment and truth to all those who cling to Christ!
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Please give some background on the translation of the past tense of Immanuel in this Psalm
Thanks for your question, Noel! Here are a few resources that describe the translation of the past tense Immanuel...
The LORD who was on our side amplifies the meaning of the divine name of God (Exo 3:14-15). The wording of the Hebrew text is even more dramatic: “The Lord was for us.” -Nelson's New Illustrated Commentary
“The phrase ‘had been on our side’ (hayah lanu) is the past tense of Immanuel (‘God is with us’). Thus the community confesses that God has been with them in their past history.” -Willem A. VanGemeren