Praise and Sovereignty

Occasionally I get frustrated going to visit some of my very dear friends and relatives because I know conversation will eventually be turned to a frequently recurring topic: they think the end times are very close. One or two are well studied in the topic, and know a LOT about Revelation and Daniel, etc., but many of them just know what they hear on NPR:

"this nation and that nation are doing this to take power over the world"

-or -
"this group of nations hates Israel, and that's a clear sign of the Rapture coming"
-or maybe-
"did you hear about this event? Wow, men are getting really wicked, and I'm glad Jesus is coming soon."

Now, admittedly, I don't remember all that much of what I've learned about prophecy, but I am eager for the day Jesus returns for His bride. Here's the thing though: I don't know when that is. And in the meantime, all the discussion of nations gathering power or conquering others doesn't frighten me. Because I've found comfort in Psalm 33. I don't understand it fully, because I don't know the plans of His heart. My heart breaks that millions have been slaughtered by cruel people, especially knowing that some have claimed the name of Christ when holding a murdering sword. But my heart rejoices in my Father in heaven, because I trust in His holy name.

Psalm 33

¹Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
²Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
³Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
⁴For the word of the LORD is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
⁵He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
⁶By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
⁷He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
⁸Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
⁹For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
¹⁰The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
¹¹The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
¹³The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
¹⁴From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
¹⁶The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
¹⁷A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
¹⁸Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
¹⁹To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
²⁰Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
²¹For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
²²Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.


That can really be worldview defining.

This passage clearly shows that God is sovereign over all creation and all nations and that even as perceived power is held by Greece or Rome or Britian or whoever, God looks over all.

But my favorite part is this: couple this chapter with verses like Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" To know that God watches over eras and timelines and enormous things that last for hundreds, even thousands, of years and that He still is purposefully and intimately involved with all the details of my life? That's comforting. Still not completely understandable, I don't think. But it makes trying to live out passages like James 1:2-3 much less.....I dunno, daunting maybe. Because my faith is in something that is worthy of faith. It definitely proves Christ more valuable than the tiny, insignificant things I tend to worship on a daily basis. And that's what I'm seeking, Christ as my treasure.