We Are Not in Control
With the rapid retaking of Afghanistan by the Taliban and a worldwide pandemic, one thing we have learned these past couple of years is that we are not in control. For many, this is distressing, for some it is life or death.
Who likes having other people or circumstances dictate what we can or cannot do? And yet, it is this realization that helps us draw closer to God.
Consider Psalm 2. The simple message of Psalm 2 is that the Lord reigns through His Messiah Son. The first implication is that because the Lord reigns, we do not. The psalm begins, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” It is because they do not like being ruled by someone or something else. How about us?
The second implication is that because the Lord reigns, we should fear Him. The psalm tells rulers to be wise, to serve the Lord, and to kiss the Son lest He be angry (2:10–12). Fearing the Lord does two things: (1) It rightly orients us to respect God, and (2) it frees us from fearing other things—competing idols.
Fearing the Lord enables us to enter into the uncertainly of life with courage knowing that He rules over sickness, our nation, and the world. The rod of iron that will break rebellious nations becomes the rod and staff that comfort us when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. This leads us to a third implication.
The psalm ends with the statement, “Blessed are all who take refuge in him!” Because the Lord reigns, all who take refuge in Him are blessed. What does it mean to take refuge in the Son? The Heidelberg Catechism gets at this beautifully: “What is your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.”*
We are not in control, but we have a Savior who is. He not only loves us, but He loves the world. Are you willing and ready to live for Him?
* Heidelberg Catechism question and answer #1
Who likes having other people or circumstances dictate what we can or cannot do? And yet, it is this realization that helps us draw closer to God.
Consider Psalm 2. The simple message of Psalm 2 is that the Lord reigns through His Messiah Son. The first implication is that because the Lord reigns, we do not. The psalm begins, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” It is because they do not like being ruled by someone or something else. How about us?
The second implication is that because the Lord reigns, we should fear Him. The psalm tells rulers to be wise, to serve the Lord, and to kiss the Son lest He be angry (2:10–12). Fearing the Lord does two things: (1) It rightly orients us to respect God, and (2) it frees us from fearing other things—competing idols.
Fearing the Lord enables us to enter into the uncertainly of life with courage knowing that He rules over sickness, our nation, and the world. The rod of iron that will break rebellious nations becomes the rod and staff that comfort us when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. This leads us to a third implication.
The psalm ends with the statement, “Blessed are all who take refuge in him!” Because the Lord reigns, all who take refuge in Him are blessed. What does it mean to take refuge in the Son? The Heidelberg Catechism gets at this beautifully: “What is your only comfort in life and death? That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.”*
We are not in control, but we have a Savior who is. He not only loves us, but He loves the world. Are you willing and ready to live for Him?
* Heidelberg Catechism question and answer #1
Lloyd Kim is coordinator of Mission to the World. He is a former PCA pastor and a former missionary with MTW in the Philippines and Cambodia. He holds an M.Div. from Westminster Seminary in California and a Ph.D. in New Testament studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. Lloyd and his wife, Eda, are the parents of Kaelyn, Christian, and Katy.
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