The Lord is King
Opening Prayer
Great and holy God, You are the God of all my moments. Let it be the joy of my life to offer You praise.
Read Psalm 93:1-5
[1]
Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne” (Isa. 6:1). This psalmist appears to have had a vision similar to Isaiah’s vision in the Temple.
Think Further
This is one of a cluster of psalms that celebrate God’s rule (47,93,95-99). It is particularly emphatic: “The Lord reigns” (1). A significant aspect of the poetry is the repetition not of words but of meaning, and we should hear this punchy rhythm, since it needs to get into our heads and hearts. It heralds the message loud and clear–he is the sovereign, majestic Lord, whose throne is eternal (2).
Standing on this rock is all the more important because of the overwhelming floods which hit us (3,4). The language conjures up the force and terror of floodwaters, the uncontrollable forces that engulf everything. The repetition once again makes the point: the relentless pounding of waves, the violent chaos which can so easily terrify us. We understand easily enough what this means, because our world and our personal lives face such moments of disorder or anarchy. In fact, at such times we might be tempted to call into question whether the opening stanza really is true: can we say that the Lord reigns in the midst of such overwhelming disaster? But the psalmist stresses that the world is firmly established by the sovereign Lord, the Creator. His control is “mightier” than anything which threatens his rule, and Christians know this for sure: “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah” (Rev. 11:15).
In the end, no wind or wave, no tyranny or anarchy, no power of evil can match the loving rule of the sovereign Lord, or shake the permanent foundations of the God whose word creates and sustains. He speaks that word, even in these moments as we wait on him, and that word is steadfast and permanent (5). This is the solid rock on which we stand.
Apply
Turn this psalm into expressions of praise, trusting his rule even in the midst of the storms of life.
Closing prayer
Lord, I affirm my trust in You when all around is rocking. You are the Rock on which I stand.
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