Out of Control

Our adult church group starts out with prayer requests. On a recent Sunday one prayer request was, "Please pray that people will vote for the right person for president." I shuddered. Who is that? How are we supposed to vote? I don't feel like I have any options that would be classified as voting for the right person. Just an example. There is the news media that comes into our homes every day to tell us that horrible things are happening and you can't do anything about it. Terrorism and killing, useless and overbearing governments, poverty and too much money, sickness and death. Thanks for that, news media. But it isn't the media's fault. It's the nature of "news". Then there is the "biased media" (as if an unbiased version exists somewhere) that is "on your side" and wants to tell you about the evil forces of government or that other political party or whomever is plotting to steal your freedoms (whether it is your freedom to abort babies when you want or to pray when you want and so on). Yeah, that's not helping. Besides, if I turn off the TV, get in my car, and drive a little, the radio tells me there is a flash flood warning. And I realize it's time for an oil change "and, oh, by the way, while we have it, your car needs a lot more work." In other words, without the help of the media, the universe tells me that it is out of control and I cannot change that.

This is why I love reminders like this.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

What a relief! We thought it was up to the government or even the people to rule, to obtain riches and honor, to sustain our world.

Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases. (Psa 115:3)

His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, "What have you done?" (Dan 4:34-35)

Good to know. We can muddle about down here and try to stop God from accomplishing His ends, but He does what He pleases and none can stop Him.

"I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2)

He possesses all power so that He will always accomplish His purposes.

The universe appears to be out of control, and it is out of my control, but I know the One under whose hand it is managed and by whose glorious will it is sustained and directed. And I'm okay with that. Let politics roil and the media shout. Let the world rage. I'm in the hands of the One who is in control.

To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim 1:17)