Pause VII Day 9 The Right Side Of The Victor
Psalm 46:6
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
Nations Rage
Kingdoms Topple
But That Voice.
“Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when He (God) lifts His voice.” (Psalm 46:6)
Chances are, thoughts about the end of the world haven’t crossed your mind today.
But maybe, whatever country you’re in, you’ve thought about the political landscape of your city, province, or nation.
Maybe you’ve felt panic rising, or angry frustration.
One candidate versus another.
An agenda that makes you hot and angry.
Injustice, immorality, and hot topic current events fill the headlines, and everyone has an opposing opinion.
And if you are one who doesn’t track the news one bit, hang in, this Pause is for you, too.
It doesn’t take a world leader’s actions to make you feel unsettled, anxious, and fearful; sometimes it’s just the thought of never being deeply known, never experiencing that relationship you’ve longed for, always working, but never rising in your career, or something else.
Outside threats beyond our control constantly barrage us!
The threat and struggle of nations and rulers predates us by a few millennia. Consider some Spirit-inspired words from King David, Israel’s very best human king.
“Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and His Anointed One:
“Let’s tear off their chains
and throw their ropes off of us.”
(Psalm 2:1-3)
In Short…
Why can’t we all just get along and follow the Lord’s good ways?! Everyone wants their own way, and each wants to be free from the impact of the other’s rule.
Relatable? Of course!
Regardless of politics in the world or the tensions at home or the workplace, we’ve each felt this frustration.
Did you catch the connective thoughts between David’s words and the Sons of Korah?
Both lament the disaster around them that is beyond their control, and both point to the Lord as having total authority and power.
Where Psalm 46 says, “The earth melts when He lifts His voice”, David similarly writes, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. Then He speaks to them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath.” (Psalm 2:4-5)
From natural disasters to political unrest to relationship grievances and all manner of loss, the Lord God rules over all of it in perfectly loving sovereignty.
It’s a great comfort to have this Warrior God fighting for us, vindicating us, working all things together for our good and His glory, and constantly bending toward us in love.
Yet, these verses carry a heavy warning as well.
Not all are protected by the Lord.
His enemies are utterly vanquished; He “terrifies them.”
Jeremiah elaborates on this when he wrote the words the Lord gave him by the Spirit:
“The Lord roars from on high;
He makes His voice heard from His holy dwelling.
He roars loudly over His grazing land;
He calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth
because the Lord brings a case against the nations.
He enters into judgment with all humanity.
As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
“This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Pay attention! Disaster spreads
from nation to nation.
A huge storm is stirred up from the ends of the earth.”
(Jeremiah 25:30-32)
More connections both to David’s psalm and the Sons of Korah’s psalm. Which ones can you find? Each time, warring nations are mentioned, God’s ultimate authority is incomparably vast, and disaster comes from the Lord against His enemies simply through His Voice.
If it is true that…
“the Lord brings a case against the nations.
He enters into judgment with all humanity”,
then, these words, also from David, should be on every tongue,
“Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3)
Answer: None.
None can stand blameless before the Lord.
From these passages, there is zero doubt Who the Victor is at the end of Time and who holds all power and authority even in this moment.
The question for us is, “are we on the right side of the Victor?”.
There is only one way to ensure we are the Rescued instead of the Enemies, turn away from our sin, acknowledge it before God, and ask forgiveness.
Stunningly, thousands of years ago, this was still the very same answer and David knew it.
“Pay homage to the Son (Jesus) or He will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for His anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in Him are happy.”
(Psalm 2:12)
“With You there is forgiveness,
so that You may be revered. […]
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with Him is redemption in abundance.
And He will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.”
(Psalm 130:4, 7-8)
Nations rage, kingdoms topple, but the Voice of the Lord holds out Eternal Victory for those who call on Him.
Are you on Victory’s side?
Pause VII, Day 8
I did!
So few verses specify “she” or “her” in speaking directly of a woman, I remember wondering if this verse was being accurately quoted when I saw it on a cute shirt.
A quick google search landed me in Psalm 46:5 where, sure enough, the words were actually a direct quote! The original meaning, however, was not directed to a woman, but a city.
Can We Pray With You?
Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!
This Week's Lock Screen
Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!
