God is great, God is good

For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods; Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all the deeps. Psalm 135:5,6

Today our focus is on His omnipotence. Just to give us a glimpse of this attribute let’s unpack this verse from Psalm 135.
1. He is great. He is mighty and powerful. This truth has potential to be absolutely terrifying were it not for the rest of Who He Is, which is found in verse 3 of this same passage: Praise the Lord for He is good; Sing praises to His name for it is lovely. Indeed He is powerful but hallelujah He is not a despot but rather a benevolent ruler who loves His people!
2. He is above all gods. Yes, there are other powers at work in this world. “Gods” who wield influence and wreak destruction. That is true. But our God is above them all. The forces of evil cannot touch our lives without His permission (Job 1:6-12). Our God is sovereign; it is He who is in charge. We need not fear when things seem out of control because He is always in control. Even though we often cannot understand His plan, we can be confident that He is still on the Throne, ruling with absolute power and love.
3. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like He is in charge. Terrifying things happen all over. Too close to home. In our own lives. Things we would not have chosen or even the things we fear the most. But this verse assures us that we can trust Him because He is accomplishing His plan. Job 42:2 tells us plainly I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. And His purposes are good!! Even if we are distressed for a time here, it is not without purpose and His plans for His people are good. All sorts of verses give us that confidence, especially Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.

Today, let’s bow before His Throne, realizing He is sovereign…and we are not. Let us entrust our lives – and our families’ lives – to Him, knowing that He is at work for His glory and our good.