“Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.’ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.” Psalm 96:10-13
Devotional Thought For The Day
Often we are fearful, having lost sight of the fact that the LORD reigns over all of creation, the earth, the sun, the moon, and all the stars. We hear of, and at times experience, the devastating power of natural disasters – earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, drought, wildfires, massive snowfalls and blizzards. God’s curse upon human sin extends to all of nature [Gen. 3:17-19], and the natural world still yearns for the coming day of judgment when all things are renewed, recreated, and restored [Rom. 8:19-23]. What a glorious day that will be! Even now, however, the LORD remains in control of all things, and nothing can befall us that is not ultimately for our great good and welfare [Rom. 8:28]. So with the psalmist we are invited to remember at all times that God is here with us.
Likewise, we should have great joy and eager anticipation for the coming day of judgment – when all people will face the final judgment of God. There is fearfulness in this, especially for those who reject the salvation of God provided for us by Jesus, the Lamb of God Who has taken away the sin of the world. But for those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus, who know and believe God’s great love for us, there should be no fear for us personally – for Jesus has promised that those who believe in Him have everlasting life, the bliss of heaven. When He comes to judge He will do so in “righteousness” and in “His faithfulness,” according to the Word He Himself has spoken: “He that believes the Son has everlasting life [and shall not come into condemnation but has passed from death to life]; he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” [Jn. 3:36; Jn. 5:24] We do have fear, concern, and sorrow for the unbelieving – but much less of this than God has!
So, even in the midst of a fallen world, no longer functioning perfectly as it was first created, filled with utterly sinful human beings [some of whom have been brought to faith and salvation, though many reject God’s love and gracious gifts], the Word of God calls forth joy and rejoicing and praise of the LORD. Not only human praise, but praise from all of creation – for the LORD has redeemed us and is coming to set all things back in proper order. The vision of faith sees the world as belonging to God, and understands God’s great love for us, and holds to His promises of restoration and renewal. The effect of this is joy in God’s creation, in spite of our sorrow over what we have done to the earth. The person of faith views all of creation with great optimism and expectancy, not with gloom and pessimism. For the LORD our Savior reigns to this day, and He will reign forever – and we also will reign with Him [2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:6] So we join the psalmist in exultation – praising the LORD with great gladness and joy!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us each day to overcome our gloom and sorrow. Remind us of Your full and complete forgiveness of all our sins, of the gracious love You have for us. Protect us from the grave dangers that surround us each day, those of nature and especially the threats of sinful human beings. Give us faith to see Your power and reign, and joyful optimism for what You have promised is coming. Keep us in faith, and in Your peace and joy. Amen.