Behold, God is my helper;
the LORD is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them. Verses 4-5
Whereas we don't have the kinds of enemies that the writers of these Psalms had, it is still comforting to know that our God will come to our rescue. David literally had people who were trying to kill him, so this meant a little more to him than it might to us, to whom an "enemy" might be someone who makes fun of the way we dress.
Matthew 2:1-6
Well, we've made it to the New Testament!
In this passage, the scholars, wise men, Magi, whatever you choose to call them, arrive in Jerusalem, looking for the "King of the Jews." This, of course, unnerved Herod greatly. After all, HE was "King of the Jews." He didn't need these people rising up and stirring up trouble. But his own scholars knew the Scriptures. They knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. They quote a passage from Micah which plainly gave the location.
It is plain that God orchestrated these events. But I guess that isn't so plain to everyone. Ooh. That sounded way more arrogant than it was intended. It's just that I have, long ago, accepted the sovereignty of God in all things, so it is no surprise to me to see passages of Scripture that point to his control over all events, especially those leading to the birth of our Savior. Nevertheless, I feel great comfort knowing that God controls the events of history. Even events that seem to go against what I think should be happening. For example, it's difficult for me to believe that God wants either one of these guys to be president. But he says that anyone in a position of authority has been put there by him, so...
There are promises in Scripture that have yet to be fulfilled. Obviously, Jesus has not returned to take me to the placed that he has prepared for me. Time marches on, yet I am still convinced that this promise will be kept. God will do what he said he will do.
Since Matthew was writing to the Jews, he used a lot of Old Testament prophecy in his writing. I'm not a Jew, so how does this affect me? Mainly, it shows me the truth of things that I've already mentioned above. That God has orchestrated these events since before there was time. I can choose to let this affect my daily life by always being aware of God's hand in history. I don't play a large part in history (heck, I'm not sure I play even a small part in history), but I can still glory in God's sovereignty and control. I can look at world events and not panic. This is easier said than done when our nation seems to be on the verge of a depression.
I ask for faith to continue to trust you in all areas of my life and the lives of those around me. I ask for faith to not panic when faced with world situations. You are in control. I do believe that.
Grace and peace, friends.