No more did he listen to the rush and roar of the thunder-storm.”
–Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage)
“He calms the storm, So that its waves are still… Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
–Psalm 107:29; Luke 8:25 (NKJV)
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My Uncle Ted used to work on planes and was a flight engineer for NCAR. I once asked him, how do those humongous planes get up in the air and stay there? He sort of grinned, replying with only one word, “POWER.” Whenever you feel down and out, look to Psalm 93. Whenever you seem overwhelmed by the evil in the world, look to Psalm 93. Whenever the news is bad, the outlook terrible, and there seems to be no hope–look to Psalm 93.
1 — The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
2 — Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.
3 — The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their waves.
4 — The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.
5 — Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. (NKJV)
“Our God reigns,” does He in the midst of the pestilence facing you? “Our God reigns,” does He when you face financial ruin and your career is on the line? “Our God reigns,” does He when cancer strikes? “Our God reigns,” does He when a child who was dedicated to the Lord has turned away from Him and rebels against godly teaching? No matter what situation we find ourselves in we must realize that God truly does reign.
God is sovereign. The sovereignty of God is probably one of the most hated and maligned doctrines of the Bible, yet it should be one of the most comforting, bringing peace to our souls. Lawson points out that, “God always does as He pleases, when He pleases, where He pleases, how He pleases, with whom He pleases.” We don’t like that. It hurts our self-autonomy. But when trouble arises and we don’t know what to do, how does that affect the wondrous autonomous man? Man in his free-will rebels, but God reigns triumphantly despite the rebellion.
Perhaps our perspective is blurred or even wrong. We may say that God is unfair. We may think Him powerless or disinterested in our lives. Perhaps it is because we are weak that when things seem to overwhelm we think that God is weak as well. Not so! He is closer to you than you can see. If He can take care of the world, the universe, can He not take care of your and me–oh us of little faith? In times when we don’t see clearly–look to Him who is seated on the throne.
Is the world around you too loud? Is all you hear is the clamor of evil, wickedness, and hatred? The noise is so loud that you cannot hear God listening or you are so distracted that you can’t hear Him. The noise of the attack on your soul is loud, then listen more carefully. In the midst of the sound of the mighty waves pounding against the shoreline listen for the voice of God.
“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice…!”
–Revelation 19:6-7 (NKJV)
Sometimes the noise and thunderings of the world is perceived to be louder than the voice of the Lord. Listen through the noise, hearken to the voice of the Lord. Again, when you seem to be overwhelmed come back to Psalm 93 and recognize the omnipotence of the Lord. That same power is there to help each one of us overcome.
“God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.”
–William Cowper
——————————-
My Uncle Ted used to work on planes and was a flight engineer for NCAR. I once asked him, how do those humongous planes get up in the air and stay there? He sort of grinned, replying with only one word, “POWER.” Whenever you feel down and out, look to Psalm 93. Whenever you seem overwhelmed by the evil in the world, look to Psalm 93. Whenever the news is bad, the outlook terrible, and there seems to be no hope–look to Psalm 93.
1 — The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
2 — Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.
3 — The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their waves.
4 — The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.
5 — Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. (NKJV)
“Our God reigns,” does He in the midst of the pestilence facing you? “Our God reigns,” does He when you face financial ruin and your career is on the line? “Our God reigns,” does He when cancer strikes? “Our God reigns,” does He when a child who was dedicated to the Lord has turned away from Him and rebels against godly teaching? No matter what situation we find ourselves in we must realize that God truly does reign.
God is sovereign. The sovereignty of God is probably one of the most hated and maligned doctrines of the Bible, yet it should be one of the most comforting, bringing peace to our souls. Lawson points out that, “God always does as He pleases, when He pleases, where He pleases, how He pleases, with whom He pleases.” We don’t like that. It hurts our self-autonomy. But when trouble arises and we don’t know what to do, how does that affect the wondrous autonomous man? Man in his free-will rebels, but God reigns triumphantly despite the rebellion.
Perhaps our perspective is blurred or even wrong. We may say that God is unfair. We may think Him powerless or disinterested in our lives. Perhaps it is because we are weak that when things seem to overwhelm we think that God is weak as well. Not so! He is closer to you than you can see. If He can take care of the world, the universe, can He not take care of your and me–oh us of little faith? In times when we don’t see clearly–look to Him who is seated on the throne.
Is the world around you too loud? Is all you hear is the clamor of evil, wickedness, and hatred? The noise is so loud that you cannot hear God listening or you are so distracted that you can’t hear Him. The noise of the attack on your soul is loud, then listen more carefully. In the midst of the sound of the mighty waves pounding against the shoreline listen for the voice of God.
“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice…!”
–Revelation 19:6-7 (NKJV)
Sometimes the noise and thunderings of the world is perceived to be louder than the voice of the Lord. Listen through the noise, hearken to the voice of the Lord. Again, when you seem to be overwhelmed come back to Psalm 93 and recognize the omnipotence of the Lord. That same power is there to help each one of us overcome.
“God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.”
–William Cowper