Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 93

This morning as I read in the commentary I am using during this study of the Psalms, I found two very important statements that Warren Wiersbe makes as he looks at Psalm 93. First he said this, “The truth about what is going on in this world is not found in the newspapers but in the Scriptures.” Though today social media has mostly replaced newspapers, that statement is just as true.

The second statement Wiersbe makes is this, “False prophets, false teachers, and scoffers abound, but God's promises will all be fulfilled in their time, and God's children live by promises, not explanations.” We must stop looking for answers to things we cannot understand in this life, and simply trust in God for who He is. Psalm 93 helps us remember who God is.

God is sovereign over all the earth. He reigns and He reigns in majesty. What He has established cannot be moved. God’s throne and His rule is forever.

Psalm 93:1-2
The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.  Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.

The power of God is seen in the natural world. The power of God is above all other powers. God’s power is over the waves and the floods we see on this earth. His power includes world leaders and their puny little armies. God is in control. He established the governments of the world and He is sovereign over them. That means they are under His control.

Psalm 93:3-4
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.  Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!

The Word of God is true and it stands. God’s Holiness fills God’s House.

Psalm 93:5
Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.

We can live in faith and we can live by faith and when we do, then we can have peace in the midst of this mess we’ve made of things. Who is in control? Not Donald Trump or Kim Jong Un.

Psalm 33:10-11
 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

Psalm 33:16-17
The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Trust in the Lord Christian. The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 46

How to Have Peace Living Under the Threat of Destruction

As one who grew up in the sixties, I saw the results of living in a world under threat of nuclear war. I can remember the countless drills at school, when we practiced putting our heads in our laps in hopes that we might survive the blast if it occurred. For me the recent North Korean threats have disturbed me. I rejoiced when the Cold War ended and it seems as if we have moved back into a place of danger. This morning’s psalm is a calming salve to those fears.

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

The world we live in is changing. It has already changed by leaps and bounds since my childhood. But we need not fear. Our God is a refuge and a strong one. Nothing can come up against Him.

Psalm 46:4-7
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.  God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.  The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

The Bible tells us that those who are in authority over the nations were put there by God, Himself. And God, who dwells in the heavenly realm, is above the nations. God created this world by merely speaking it into existence. He can melt this earth in the exact same way. Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump can spew out threats all day long, but God is still sovereign over them. The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

What do we do in the midst of this changing world? How do we not live in anxious fear of nuclear war?

Psalm 46:8-9
Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.

God is still in control.

What do we do?

Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Be still. Know that He is God. Kim Jong-un will one day bend his knee to Jesus. Until then, we are commanded to pray for him. (Matthew 5:44) Donald Trump is in serious need of Godly counsel. We are commanded to pray for him. (1 Timothy 2:1-3) We are commanded to exalt God and God alone is worthy of both praise and of fear.

Pray for the world’s leaders. Then be still and know that He is God. Rest in Him. He is a safe refuge. He is a mighty fortress.

Psalm 46:11
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Amen.