This Psalm reveals how doubt and disbelief can endanger our salvation. They blind us from recognising His limitless love and distort it as if it were driven by vengeance. It is sobering to realise that the very blessings we seek from God today are often the ones that end up shaking our faith. When we receive what we’ve longed for, we rejoice—but only for a short time. Soon, those same blessings can become obstacles to our spiritual growth, hindering our faith.
Yet, we continue to ask God for things that may ultimately harm us, while He longs to give us what is truly good and lasting. Jesus said that Mary had chosen what is better, and it would not be taken away from her. Likewise, after sharing the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus expressed His concern about people losing faith for similar reasons.
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:8 (NIV)
God Who Avenges
The LORD is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth.
Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.
How long, LORD, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? – Psalms 94:1-3 (NIV)
This Psalm begins by reflecting on a common misunderstanding of God’s character among the people of the Old Testament. They mistook a loving God for an avenging one. To show His love, God acted against their enemies, yet instead of recognising His love behind those actions, they focused solely on His judgment and lived in fear, constantly speculating about how God would avenge.
When someone prays for God to deal harshly with the proud, they often fail to realise that such a request could apply to themselves as well, because being proud of having God on one’s side is still pride.
A believer may rightly ask, “How long will I keep repeating the same sins despite Your forgiveness, Lord?” or “How long until I truly understand You?” or “How long will this suffering last?”—these are sincere, heartfelt questions. But asking, “When will You punish the wicked?” steps beyond our rightful place. When God saved us by His grace, others may have been praying for justice against us. Even the martyrs of the Old Testament are depicted in Revelation 6:10 as crying out, “How long, O Lord, until You avenge our blood?” Yet the blood of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, did not cry out for vengeance—because by God’s grace, Stephen learned to forgive even in death.
Misunderstanding Grace
They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice. – Psalm 94:7 (NIV)
The wicked often misinterpret God’s patience as indifference. Mistaking His mercy for ignorance, they continue in evil more boldly. Meanwhile, even the children of God sometimes misread His loving discipline as punishment and resist further learning.
Teachings like Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek and walk the extra mile are still misunderstood, even by many believers. How, then, can we expect the world to grasp them? These teachings can only be understood in the light of Jesus’ perspective, through the lens of Agape love, God’s unconditional love.
Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? – Psalm 94:8 (NIV)
Though this language may sound harsh, true wisdom begins with a love for God and a desire to understand His ways. This isn’t about human intellect or reasoning—it’s about grace. Many live under God’s common grace—His general goodness shown to all—but still struggle to know Him. It is only through saving grace that we come into a deeper relationship with Him. And it is through that same grace that freed us from sin, that we must hope and pray for change in others.
God Knows Our Plans
The LORD knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile. – Psalm 94:11 (NIV)
Paul teaches that we need the Spirit of God to understand the thoughts of God, because the human mind is limited—it can comprehend only human reasoning and nothing beyond 1 Corinthians 2:11). In contrast, God doesn’t need a human mind to understand ours; He knows our thoughts even before they are spoken.
Jesus did not come in human form to understand mankind—God already knew our minds and our condition. Rather, God, fully aware of our struggles and fallen state, sent His Son to redeem us. Knowing what Jesus had done on the cross, we should approach Him with confidence (Hebrews 4:14-16). The psalmist reminds us that even though God knows all things, He patiently waits for people to repent and return to Him.
A Pit For The Wicked
Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law;
you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. – Psalm 94: 12-13 (NIV)
While we understand God’s discipline in light of the teaching found in the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 12:10-11), we must also grasp the truth about the pit meant for the wicked. God does not dig a pit to trap the wicked; rather, they often fall into the very pit they intended for others, often for the innocent (Psalm 7:15, Proverbs 26:27). Scripture warns that those who dig a pit for others will ultimately fall into it themselves.
Even when we fall into such a pit because of our own disobedience, the God who warned us remains with us. He does not abandon us. He is not a God who simply throws the wicked into a pit while rescuing the righteous—instead, He is the God who rescues. In fact, Jesus Himself descended into the pit, into the valley of death, to lift us out of it.
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. – Psalms 94:18-19 (NIV)
Without the grace of God, we cannot even recognise when our own feet are slipping. Without His grace, we become more focused on the failures of others than our own. But recognising our faltering moments is only the beginning—we must also surrender ourselves to God, so that He can replace our inner anxiety with His peace.
Destruction of Wickedness
He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness;
the LORD our God will destroy them. – Psalm 94:23 (NIV)
The Psalm opens by addressing God as an avenger and concludes by assuring readers that He will deal with the wicked because of their evil deeds. God gave us His Son as an atonement for our sins so that no one would perish. The irony is that, while we know God as merciful, many experience Him as a God who avenges.
Just as every person desires a life partner who is kind and supportive, yet often tries to keep that kindness for themselves after marriage, we tend to treat God the same way, seeking His goodness only for our own benefit. But God cannot be confined to our personal interests.
God does not desire the destruction of wicked people, but the destruction of their wickedness. He hates sin, yet loves the sinner. This is why He longs to deliver people from the power of sin—so that they may dwell with Him. As long as we fail to fully comprehend God’s love, we remain vulnerable to losing our faith, misled by a false sense of security in His protection, blessings, and salvation.
Lord, help us to love You as You first loved us. Remove from us the selfish desire to claim Your grace only for ourselves while wishing Your wrath upon others. Teach us to grow daily in Your love, becoming more like You with each passing day. Amen.
The Jordan Valley 
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