"Lord of the Nations"
May 20, 2019
Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
~ Psalm 67:3-4 (ESV)
Although there are pockets of peace, the world is more often than not filled with conflict and confusion. As the Lord Jesus foretold concerning these last days before His return, nation rises against nation and kingdom against kingdom and "because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). There is hardly any good news to be found. Citizens grow frustrated and angry; leaders reveal their failings. We may be tempted to ask, "Who's in charge here anyway?"
Who's in charge? The psalmist knows, and so do we. God reigns over all people, over every nation on earth. Suffering for reasons he did not understand, Job said of the God to whom he remained faithful, "In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." Job acknowledged God's sovereign power: "He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away" (Job 12:10, 23). God reigns in wisdom and majesty over the world He created. Leaders and nations rise and fall under His authority.
According to the prophet Isaiah, when the Messiah came, He would bring God's reign to the earth. He would rule with righteousness and judge in favor of the poor and meek; He would destroy the wicked (see Isaiah 11:4). The Messiah has come, our crucified and risen, our ruling and returning Lord. He reigns at God's right hand, and to Him has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. We do not yet see the fullness of His reign. We watch and pray and act with compassion as the poor still suffer oppression and faithful believers endure persecution. The wicked still triumph. We are not required to understand the purposes of the Lord. Kingdoms rise and fall at His command. Conflicts begin and conflicts are resolved. The Lord's purposes in these events are hidden within His majesty and are not for us to know. Like Job, we are called simply to repentant faithfulness, to trust in our risen and reigning Lord.
Our God and Savior rules now. Although His reign in the world is hidden for now, still the psalmist calls on the nations, on all peoples, to praise God. When our Lord returns on the Last Day, we will enjoy the full, revealed glory of His reign. The nations will sing for joy, and we will rejoice with them!
THE PRAYER: Mighty, risen, and reigning Lord, we long for the day of Your return. Until then, we rejoice in Your wise and just rule. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Although there are pockets of peace, the world is more often than not filled with conflict and confusion.
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