Our God Reigns
“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
Psalm 11:3-4
One of the subtle, crippling effects of an Internet world is that we are aware of every atrocity, every tragedy within moments of its occurrence in any place in the world.
The earthquake that shakes Puerto Rico and the fires that devastate Australia. The airliner shot from the sky and the thousands of children caught up in the sex trade. The terrorists who behead a Nigerian pastor and the drug dealers who murder refugees in Mexico.
On and on it goes. Such news is not benign; it has a powerful effect on us. “What’s going on?!?! How can such things happen?!?!”
Of course, the Evil One pounces on these thoughts immediately, poisoning our confidence that a good and loving God is in control.
David describes this tension in multiple psalms. Among them is Psalm 11. The context within which he wrote those words was that enemies threatened him on all sides.
And, as seen in verse three, this threat shook him.
“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Things looked really bad. Yet David refused to allow current events to move him from the eternal fact that God still reigns.
“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne.”
This confidence is reiterated in another of his psalms.
“The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. “
Psalm 93:1-2
When we look to the stormy seas of tragic world events or the swirling tornado of our personal crises and try to assure ourselves that God is loving, we are fighting a losing battle. That is why we have to focus on the one unshakable, fixed point in the universe.
When in the stormy seas of tragic world events or the swirling tornado of our personal crises, we have to focus on the one unshakable, fixed point in the universe. The throne of God.
There is a throne and it is occupied. Moreover, it’s occupied by One who is in complete control. In the words of a good friend, “Jesus is still on the throne and he ain’t nervous.”
In the book of Colossians, we’re given wise counsel.
“… set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Notice that Jesus is seated on the throne, at the very right hand of God. Seated. Not pacing anxiously. Not wringing His hands in worry. Not giving a bewildered look.
No. He’s sitting on the throne, robed in majesty and armed with strength. And, ultimately, in His perfect timing, that majesty and strength will set all things right and make all things new.
Jesus is seated on the throne, at the very right hand of God. Seated. Not pacing anxiously. Not wringing His hands in worry. He’s sitting on the throne, robed in majesty and armed with strength.
PRAYER
Lord, I am so glad that there is, in fact, a throne…THE throne. And I thrill at the fact that it’s occupied by the One who is worthy to rule. When events and circumstances draw my eyes to the earthly difficulties, help me to fix my gaze on the heavenly throne. And to whisper quietly, “Our God reigns.”
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