by Kristen Robinson
Psalm 97:1 - The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
Revelations 17:14 - They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.
Today’s scripture readings hold some beautiful truths for today - the first detailing Jesus’ resurrection and the second proclaiming our God as King of all. Today our country is preparing to install a new president. I promise not to delve into politics, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that there are a lot of powerful opinions, thoughts and feelings on our minds this week. We are seeing and experiencing things we are still striving to understand and work through. No matter our political leanings, I’m sure we can all agree that tensions are higher this go around. Which is why I think the today’s scripture passages are well-timed.
Our reading in Psalm 97 begins, “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice,” with other translations also interpreting this verse as, “The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice!” What an awesome reminder of Who is truly in charge. There have been many nations and many rulers, but only One has ultimate control. In Ephesians 1:20-21, we read, “He worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” God the Father raised Jesus from the dead to be in authority “not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Jesus reigns now and forever, and His plans are for us, not against us.
Earlier this month, I found myself reading through Exodus and focusing on Moses and his encounter with the burning bush. As you remember in this passage, the Lord speaks to Moses through a bush that is on fire but is not consumed by the flames. He tells Moses that He has heard the cries of His people and instructs him to go back to Egypt and demand that the Israelites be released from slavery. Moses asks who he should tell the Israelites sent him, and God responds, “I am who I am.” I recently heard another translation which reads, “I will be what I will be.” What the Lord is saying here is that He is the Savior that the Israelites need today and will also be that same Savior to them when He is needed in the future. God tells Moses to tell the Israelites that He is the same God of their fathers - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He continues to say that, “This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”
To assure the Israelites that God was going to do what He promised, Moses was told to remind them of the promises He kept in the past to their forefathers. And even more importantly, God also points out that He will be this same Savior to every generation. Time continues on and history continues to be made, but God is eternal. This reminds us that God has been active throughout our nation’s history, from the hopes and dreams of people coming to a New World seeking freedom to battling fiercely for these freedoms during the Revolutionary War, but also through this nation’s devastating struggles culminating in the Civil War and also in continued struggles to overcome evil and hatred stretching into the twentieth century. That same God Who has helped us through all of those challenges in history will help us to overcome the division in our country today. Hope is not lost, though we may often be placing our hope in the wrong places and people. “I AM” wants us to know that He is for us, He sees us, He hears us, He recognizes our struggles and He wants good things for us. He is our Savior today and forever. While we will see government leaders come and go, His kingdom is eternal, as the Bible tells us “to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
If you are following our “Daily Bible-Reading Plan,” today's passages are John 20 & Psalm 97.