Day 6 - Tuesday

1The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
    let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame,
    those who boast in idols—
    worship him, all you gods!.        (Psalm 97:1-7)

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”   (1 Corinthians 1:27 - 31)
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In Psalm 97, we are invited along with all creation to witness the glory of the Lord. 

The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
    let the distant shores rejoice.
…and all peoples see his glory.  (Psalm 97:1, 6)

The power of the Lord leaves nothing unchanged!  

Yet this Psalm leaves us wondering how the people will respond, the peoples who “see his glory”.  We are invited, along with all creation, to worship the Lord. 
I often wonder what it would have been like for the Israelites to witness the awesome power of God at Mt Sinai where they saw smoke and lightning and the mountain tremble. An encounter like that seems like it should have left the people shaking and scared to worship anything other than this God!  Maybe that was true for a short time.  But ultimately, the people were still unchanged.  Sin and selfishness left them prone to wander.  Fear is a poor motivator and has no power to change our hearts.  That is why the gospel that we hold onto is not a message of fear, but one of hope and transformation.  The Psalmist reminds us that God’s reign is built on justice and righteousness.  In this, no idol can compare! 

Yes, the mountains may tremble before his power and glory, but those who are weak and unable to save themselves will find strength and salvation in Jesus Christ.  The Kingdom of God, changes everything!  That should give us hope in every circumstance that we face where we feel like we have no control or no power to change things.  In Jesus Christ, God invites us into his wisdom and helps us to see differently. 

Heavenly Father, you who are the awesome Creator of all things, have invited me into a relationship with you.  In a world that seems to often feel crushing and life-taking, thank you for giving.  Thank you for Jesus, my life-giving redeemer.  Lead me with your wisdom and in your strength.  Help me to put my faith in you in every circumstance.  Amen.