Mind Meld of A Different Kind

PSALM 2
Why are the nations so angry?

Why do they waste their time with futile plans?

The kings of the earth prepare for battle;

the rulers plot together

against the Lord and against his anointed one.

“Let us break their chains,” they cry,

“and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
But the one who rules in heaven laughs.

The Lord scoffs at them.

Then in anger he rebukes them,

terrifying them with his fierce fury.

For the Lord declares,

“I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem,

on my holy mountain.”
The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:

“The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son.

Today I have become your Father.

Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,

the whole earth as your possession.

You will break them with an iron rod

and smash them like clay pots.’”
Now then, you kings, act wisely!

Be warned, you rulers of the earth!

Serve the Lord with reverent fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,

and you will be destroyed

in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant.

But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

When God laughs
Frustration creeps up on you quickly and consumes your mind. Once I get frustrated I am irritable, I find it hard to work, and I quickly start lashing out at people who have done nothing but show up in my life that day. I get most frustrated when I have worked hard at planning things and events disintegrate my plans into rubble.

When people work so hard to try and run life on their own, thinking they are something great it must make God laugh. How futile are our attempts to control life. Even those who have the power of armies and money behind them are swept away at the slightest illness, or accident. We do not have control.

I am reminded again of how little control I have in life. God is in control and we are not and that is a good thing. The final words of Psalm 2 are wonderful. Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Praise God we are not in control for our vision is so limited. I am glad God laughs at those who think they have ultimate authority and blesses those who walk in humbleness.

Living out humbleness, submission, and letting go of control does not come easy for me. Through the power of God I know it is possible and have experienced the joy of taking refuge in God.

Sovereign Lord over all the earth, I submit to your kingship in my life and I humble myself before you now. I desire to be broken by your Word instead of your iron rod. - Dan Jones

Reverse Rage
Of course the kingdoms rage! Human political institutions reflect those who create them; a people intent on defining good and evil for themselves and governing others based of these definitions. Independence is our human cry, self rule our determination. We want no other ruler, especially from theocratic centers such as Jerusalem.

But alas, our rebellion against the ultimate authority of God over every aspect of life will finally end when the new, heavenly Jerusalem, not the old middle-eastern one, rules the planet. The Old Testament kings in David’s line prepared the way for the ultimate ruler, King Jesus, to rule the world. And there is nothing anyone can do about that ultimate reality.

So why do so many Christians rage, especially in my country, the USA? We have read the last book of the Bible and, if we are convinced of its truthfulness, know that Jesus will ultimately rule. We read prophetic psalms like this one whose promises to the kings of Jerusalem get taken over and redefined by Jesus. We pray “Your kingdom come.”

But then we rage every time we perceive setbacks to Christians in our culture. We become threatened when others attack Christianity in sundry media outlets. We react with counter attacks rather than with the confidence of a people who are rooted in the realities of this Psalm.

We do not need to counter-rage! I do not need to feel threatened! I and my fellow citizens of God’s world-wide kingdom can pro-actively live, love, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus.

Confident in the ultimate outcome, I need not feel obligate to cajole, coerce, or manipulate the dominance of Christian ideals. The King is already ruling. His Kingdom is expanding. He will be the only One left standing in the end.

So my task is neither defending nor expanding the rule of Christ but simply to invite more and more people to give their allegiance to the one whose reign is only challenged with futile plans.

King Jesus, I’ll refuse becoming defensive about my Christianity and resist the temptation to use any other force to spread this Truth than the power of invitation. - Mike Leamon