the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
2 Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
3 The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty.
5 Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days.
“Nowhere in the Psalms do the cries of human experience and the claim of divine sovereignty clash more powerfully than around the statement ‘the Lord is King.’ Humanity seems hell-bent on trying to put someone or something other than God in charge of things, that is, on the throne. Indeed, many would prefer to do away with even the language of lordship or kingship when speaking of God. Surely our contemporary bias toward democratic processes (which most of us accept as being a very good thing) should be extended to our doctrine of God, right?
“While it is true that there are many wonderful images and metaphors in the Bible describing the character of God—from a just judge to a loving parent to a loyal friend—at our peril we ignore the qualitative difference between God, the Holy One, the Creator, the Preserver, and the Sustainer on the one hand and God’s creatures on the other.
“But most importantly, this is good news! For in acknowledging that it is the Lord who reigns, we know that we do not. We do not reign over this world. We do not reign over our lives, and certainly not over the lives of our neighbors. One infinitely and eternally wiser, truer, more compassionate, and more just than we are reigns supreme.”
- Monday – Matthew 18
- Tuesday – Matthew 19
- Wednesday – Matthew 20
- Thursday – Matthew 21
- Friday – Matthew 22
- Families in crisis.
- Loved ones battling illness.
- Those seeking to find their way.
- The St. Paul Church family and our ministries.
- The United Methodist Church family.
- Our leaders, our country, and our world.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6