Today’s reading: Psalm 32:1-35:28
My selection: Psalm 33:8-12
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
My reflections: When God judged the people at Babel, He laid the foundations for a world divided by languages and tribes. [Genesis 11]. In foolish ignorance, the nations that resulted typically created their own deities and theologies. They conceived of their gods as territorial (gods of the plains, gods of the hills) or departmental (gods of fertility, gods of weather etc.).
The God of Israel revealed Himself as the God of all creation and of all the nations. He made everything and everyone. The whole earth is called to stand in awe of Him who is the Creator of all.
He is also the God of Providence. His plans stand. They cannot be thwarted. He actively rules over everything and everyone. Therefore, He has ultimate control over who wins wars, elections, and even the lottery. [Proverbs 16:33]
He will fulfill His plans, His eternal decrees, and they include blessing on the nation whose God is the Lord. From the New Testament (Ephesians 2-3) we know that He has purposed to unite both Jews and Gentiles in one people, His Church. Meanwhile, His people live in the midst of the nations of this world, testifying to His truth and His gospel, and calling out those who will believe.
My challenge: Are you confident that His plans cannot fail? Do you live with the peace that blessing is to be found by those who are His? The nations who reject Him, seeking to recreate Babel in a pagan world unity will be frustrated in the end.
Fear God who reigns.
Tomorrow’s reading: Psalm 36:1-39:13
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