Thoughts for the Day

The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
more majestic than the waves of the sea,
majestic on high is the Lord.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

This short psalm has no title but is a statement about God's power and might. Depending on the version of the Bible we use God's names are Yahweh, Jehovah, King, or Lord - He is the one and only Almighty God, and He reigns supreme. His power and might reign over all others.

Perhaps at the time this psalm was written the nation of Israel was under threat from an enemy who intended to remove evidence of Yahweh and impose their own pagan sanctuaries, we don't know. But if this is so, then this Psalm was written to encourage the people to remember that the Lord was still the Almighty King. He is more powerful than destroying floods (or indeed at the moment, raging fires, earthquakes or the Taliban) and He is more majestic than anything on the earth that He has created. We learn that God reigns, has reigned, and will reign for ever no matter what happens in our world.

Whatever challenges we face, no matter how hard, we should also be comforted that our God reigns - that He is in control, and that all will occur for good in the end in His world. We are simply called to worship Him.

:Lord God,
when we feel alone and lost;
when the challenges and dangers
seem overwhelming,
may we remember that You are King
over all Your world;
that You are in control
of all that happens;
and will bring to fruition
all Your plans for good, in due course.
Amen.