Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 97
97:1 The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coast lands be glad!
97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
97:3 Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.
97:4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
97:6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
97:7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
97:8 Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God.
97:9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
97:10 The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
97:11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Reflections
This is a Psalm that speaks on God coming back to eradicate sin and the new coming for God to judge the earth. This Psalm speaks to the fact and places special emphasis on the Lord’s totally righteous judgment on the world.
This past Sunday morning I was sitting in church and my pastor was speaking on the fact that we need to be more bold in preaching the Gospel. The reality is, one day the Lord will come back to restore the earth again and place judgment on the earth and those who chose to reject Him. That is a sad reality to those who have chosen not to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
As Christians, we all have a calling to share the Gospel with those who are close to us and far from us. We in North America, are fortunate to live in a country that is not threatened by daily persecution from living out our faith in Christ and spreading His news to others. There are still lost souls to be saved and seeing how this Psalm speaks to God’s coming judgment, the urgency is even higher for us to go and spread the good news.
Jesus Christ came to die and save those who are lost. In verse 10 it speaks about how God hates evil and preserves the lives of His children and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. This verse speaks to the eternal security we have in Christ through the work of Salvation. This same message of hope is extended to all who will turn and believe. God seeks to save sinners and bring them into a new relationship with Him. He seeks to pour out His love and Grace into our lives and daily purge us of any sin that is hindering us from growing into a deeper relationship with Him. When we choose to follow after Him we no longer have to experience God’s judgment when He comes to take us to be with Him. We are given the gift of eternal security and rest in His loving hands and spending eternity with Him where there will be no more tears, pain or heartache. This kind of promise should motivate us to live a life of holiness that reflects Him and thankfulness that brings Glory to His name.
[Featured image from christianglobe.com]