Page 67 - Living light - The Psalms

Sunday August 18 - The Lord is reigning
The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Psalm 99:1
For our final week in the Psalms, we will consider Psalm 99 and in particular God’s majesty, justice and holiness. Looking at the world around us we might be tempted to think that chaos and carnality reign. Revelation chapter 4 shows otherwise, as we are invited to gaze into heaven’s throne room. Note – it is a throne room, not a war cabinet charged with anxiety, but a joy-filled place where God reigns with absolute authority.
Your life might seem in turmoil, with defeat looming large, but take heart: the Lord God Almighty reigns. Right now 24 elders are singing before the throne in heaven, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:10-11). Isaiah had a life-changing glimpse of heaven when he ‘saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne... above him were seraphim calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory”’ (Isaiah 6:1-3).
Psalms 93 and 97 similarly start by proclaiming ‘The Lord reigns!’ Dear friend, take this to heart; it is God who causes the nations to tremble and the earth to shake. The pioneer Quakers shook when they came under the power of the Holy Spirit. At the time they were seen as strange; perhaps they were heaven’s norm?
Sovereign, heavenly Father, today I declare that you reign and I willingly accept your lordship over my life. Amen.
Monday August 19 - The Lord is almighty
Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Psalm 99:2
I am loving our journey through the Psalms; it has revealed so much about the character of God, and today we consider his might. Jeremiah 32:27 declares, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” Your honest answer to this question sets the bar on your faith!
In Genesis 17:1, God introduced himself to Abram as God Almighty, El Shaddai in Hebrew – the God who ‘is more than enough’. God went on to tell Abram that he would greatly increase his offspring, so it’s no wonder that God introduced himself to the 99- year-old as El Shaddai!
It is important to remember that God is above and beyond the natural. All things were created by his spoken word; his “Let there be...” was sufficient. God reigns supreme over every other power and authority.
We can read a psalm like today’s and yet perhaps remain unmoved; on the other hand we can declare it with triumphant faith, knowing in our hearts that nothing is too difficult for our God. Jesus turned water into wine and fed 5,000 from a picnic hamper. God’s promise remains, “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’” (Jeremiah 33:2-3).
Almighty God, I join with the elders in worship. Lord, nothing is too hard for you. Please increase my faith. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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