Yes, Friends, This is a Joyful Time!
God put Psalm 2 before me this morning, and He was on time as always.
“Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his annointed one. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they cry, ‘and free ourselves from slavery to God.’ — Psalm 2: 1-3 NLT
I’ve been following the news just enough lately to realize those first three verses of this Psalm apply to our current time as much as any other. (Don’t we all too often assume the Bible is writing to other people, not us?)
The planning — debating, actually — is rampant these days, and The World lies in wait for its kings to decide The Question as kings do — by fighting, of course. The Question, of course, is this: Now that the world is shut down, what next?
The fights are getting hotter by the day: Whose policies got us into this mess? Whose ideas will get us out? What nations (or states or cities) will emerge more victorious than others? Is it acceptable to put a few lives at risk to avoid economic ruin? Or should we all just be happily willing to sacrifice our livelihoods, and our life’s savings, for the cause of complete victory over COVID-19? When can we all just get back to hugging — and watching sports — again?
In otherwords, our kings, along with the rest of us, are crying, “Let us break these chains, and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
That’s not good, blessed friends.
The fact is we are slaves to God.
And that’s the very thing that sets us free! Oh, Heaven, Your irony keeps me smiling!
Wanting free of God’s freedom is a dangerous — deadly! — place to be.
Is it not?
So, Dear Reader, let’s you and I celebrate our Freedom in Him by agreeing in prayer that our kings, and the rest of us, will stop the foolish cries and, well, just relax in Psalm 2’s warning — which I now see as God’s vaccine for COVID 19.
“Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities — for his anger flares up on an instant But what joy for all who take refuge in him!” Psalm 2: 10-12
I did the ole “emphasis added” thing with that last sentence. Please forgive my further emphasis here: BUT WHAT JOY FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!”
Can I add even more emphasis? Why yes, I can!
BUT WHAT JOY FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!
BUT WHAT JOY FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!
Praise the Lord! Glory! Hallelujiah! BUT WHAT JOY FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!
That promise of joy is why — Lord, let the ire I may raise with these next words be minimal — I find myself excited by this shut down!
For me, these are joyful days! (In case you missed it, I even called Easter 2020 — you know, the day most of us Christians avoided our church buildings like the plague (ha! I kill me) — Our Generation’s Best Easter Ever.)
I say all that because only God could have arranged this shut down. He is making Himself known to our world in the mightiest way any of us currently alive have ever seen! And that, for me, is pure joy!
BUT WHAT JOY FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!
COVID 19 was the devil’s doin’, of course. But Our Lord has CONFOUNDED his stupid plan! Devil, you have always been defeated!
BUT WHAT JOY FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!
Blessed friends, let’s rest in this moment! Let’s rejoice in Him! Let’s regroup in Him!
Let’s celebrate — not fight! — over “what’s next.”
God already knows what’s next. And, He’s God! What’s next is guaranteed to be good. Universally Good. Eternally Good.
Unless we — or our kings — settle upon another plan! What a frightening thought!
Let’s trust “what’s next” to Him, dear friends.
Lord, I rejoice in being your blessed slave! May my (our) freedom in You never end!