Devotion 5.12.26

Psalm 47

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Clap your hands, all peoples!

  Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,

  a great king over all the earth.

3 He subdued peoples under us,

  and nations under our feet.

4 He chose our heritage for us,

  the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

5 God has gone up with a shout,

  the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!

  Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7 For God is the King of all the earth;

  sing praises with a psalm![a]

8 God reigns over the nations;

  God sits on his holy throne.

The Son of God went to be with the Father at his right hand for eternity after his suffering, death and resurrection. To God be all the glory. This psalm is for Ascension. 

Occasionally, a local legislator would reach out to us as education administrators at the local regional service center (Region 17 - Lubbock), and they would ask us if we could provide bodies (people who would be friendly) to a cause. One such occasion was Liberty University and its homeschool network, whom one of our local representatives in the Texas House was associated. They were having an event at the United Spirit Arena (now United Supermarkets Arena).

Ed Meese, former US Attorney General and part of the "trinity" who served as chiefs of staff (Meese, Devers, Baker) under President Reagan, was the speaker. Of course I was interested in attending. I was a political junky who came of age as an adult under President Reagan. I came home and asked my twins if they wanted to go (they wanted youth at the event). My son joined me, and he had on a coat and tie for the event. He met Ed Meese, who spoke for about 20 minutes and then mingled with the crowd. I had, at one time, a great picture of my young son and AG Meese chatting informally. On the way home, I asked him what they discussed.

He said he told Mr. Meese how much he enjoyed his presentation and that he asked him how he held those facts in his speech in his mind. He looked at me and asked, "How do you know who is right?" He was a follower of the news and heard people from both sides of the aisle who were convincing.

I told him that it was easy if you knew your core beliefs. "Who aligns with what you know to be the truth?"

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) Today's psalmist is noting that God reigns over all the earth. I know I am a citizen in two kingdoms, earthly and heavenly. I am a temporary resident in one (here). My permanent address is with Christ (now and in eternity). As Peter writes in his first epistle, 1 Peter, suffering on this earth for what we profess, that Christ reigns over all the earth and that through him we have eternal life, is to God's glory. Our suffering is temporary, but our glory is eternal.

It's good to remind ourselves of this profound truth from time to time. God is in control. God rules over all the earth. Princes and municipalities have no rule over God. In the end, we win through faith in Christ. Our time on earth is temporary. The good we enjoy and the suffering we endure is temporary. If we suffer for our confession, to God be all the glory.

Pray with me: Gracious God, We know that we will be with you in eternity. Help me to know that any suffering I may face for confessing you is temporary. Help give me the strength and courage to speak the Truth daily, in love, to a world that does not know you. In Christ's name, Amen.