The Lord reigns. He is robed in majesty. The Lord is robed. He has put on strength as His belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. (Verse 1)
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. Tremble before Him all the earth. Yes, the world is established. It shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" Let the sea roar and all that fills it. Let the field exult and everything in it! Then the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! 1 Chronicles 16
Vanessa was always singing when she was a toddler. Often she'd use a hairbrush or a pencil, pretending the items were a microphone. Our fireplace had a brick bench in front of it. Vanessa would climb onto it, using the bench as a stage, and belt out songs from church. One particular morning when she was entertaining the masses she perceived to be her audience, Vanessa sang these words with all her heart: "I've got brains! I've got brains! I've got brains! I've got brains!" To the tune of a chorus we sang nearly every week in church. The words are "Our God reigns." She heard, "I've got brains." After I laughed myself silly hearing her updated version of the song, it occurred to me that if we know God reigns, we indeed have brains.
King of Kings. That is one of His names. A benevolent monarch, but a monarch all the same. One to Whom we give the glory due to His name. This King not only rules in glory and ultimate justice and power, He also created the very realm He rules. Our God knows how it all works. Who better to watch over the earth than the One Who conceived it in the first place. The roaring seas and crashing waves are shouting He reigns. The majestic mountains as they peek out of the golden streaked sunset sing their solos to the God Who made them. Gentle breezes or rushing winds make trees clap their hands together as they rejoice at the wonders of the forests. Mighty in power, we are at the mercy of our King. It is He Who decides--everything. In humble awe we are to bow down to His will. Receive our Monarch's instructions. Understand His laws. Because our King has established an everlasting kingdom. This earth only a shadow of it. There our God reigns in the splendor of holiness--splendid for its purity, peace and luminosity. Unapproachable light. Fearsome power. Thundering energy. Indescribable. The jolting goodness of it brings us to our faces as though struck by lightning.
When the King stands up, the train of His robe fills the temple as mighty angels call to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is filled with His glory!" His robe is majesty and we cringe with the knowledge of our own dullness and dinginess in the face of it. With His mighty hands, God adjusts the belt of strength as sparks fly at the very moving of His powerful arms. He is the glory of heaven. It spills over into earth. Sparkling on the ocean's surface, roaring in the earthquake, swirling with the cyclone, heard in a baby's first cry, felt in true love's first kiss, wondered at when love is unconditional and experienced when we are reborn. The purity of holiness. The inexpressible joy of being made clean. Robed in God's goodness as we trade our rags for His riches.
One day, of course, the nations and everyone in them will bow the knee to Him Who sits on the Throne. They will have to. What nature and we who know Him already understand is that He reigns whether acknowledged or not. The nations are a drop in the bucket. Their ultimate destiny remains solidly in His hands. Nothing moves without God's say-so. Man can't re-establish boundaries or create stars. And if man were able to, it would only be because our King allowed it. Silly man who shakes his fist in the face of God and claims himself lord of his own life. Silly woman who struts away from the throne of splendor in order to create her own small life. And this while the rest of creation rejoices in the fullness of its specific glory. Reflects the majesty in which it is robed. Sings the praises of the Monarch of all Monarchs who clothes His creation in steadfast love and aching beauty.
Awaiting those of us who will live with the King forever is a kingdom we have only tasted here. There we will see our benevolent Monarch face to face. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe, and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining full strength. John, Revelation 1
And we all fall down.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. Tremble before Him all the earth. Yes, the world is established. It shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" Let the sea roar and all that fills it. Let the field exult and everything in it! Then the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! 1 Chronicles 16
Vanessa was always singing when she was a toddler. Often she'd use a hairbrush or a pencil, pretending the items were a microphone. Our fireplace had a brick bench in front of it. Vanessa would climb onto it, using the bench as a stage, and belt out songs from church. One particular morning when she was entertaining the masses she perceived to be her audience, Vanessa sang these words with all her heart: "I've got brains! I've got brains! I've got brains! I've got brains!" To the tune of a chorus we sang nearly every week in church. The words are "Our God reigns." She heard, "I've got brains." After I laughed myself silly hearing her updated version of the song, it occurred to me that if we know God reigns, we indeed have brains.
King of Kings. That is one of His names. A benevolent monarch, but a monarch all the same. One to Whom we give the glory due to His name. This King not only rules in glory and ultimate justice and power, He also created the very realm He rules. Our God knows how it all works. Who better to watch over the earth than the One Who conceived it in the first place. The roaring seas and crashing waves are shouting He reigns. The majestic mountains as they peek out of the golden streaked sunset sing their solos to the God Who made them. Gentle breezes or rushing winds make trees clap their hands together as they rejoice at the wonders of the forests. Mighty in power, we are at the mercy of our King. It is He Who decides--everything. In humble awe we are to bow down to His will. Receive our Monarch's instructions. Understand His laws. Because our King has established an everlasting kingdom. This earth only a shadow of it. There our God reigns in the splendor of holiness--splendid for its purity, peace and luminosity. Unapproachable light. Fearsome power. Thundering energy. Indescribable. The jolting goodness of it brings us to our faces as though struck by lightning.
When the King stands up, the train of His robe fills the temple as mighty angels call to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is filled with His glory!" His robe is majesty and we cringe with the knowledge of our own dullness and dinginess in the face of it. With His mighty hands, God adjusts the belt of strength as sparks fly at the very moving of His powerful arms. He is the glory of heaven. It spills over into earth. Sparkling on the ocean's surface, roaring in the earthquake, swirling with the cyclone, heard in a baby's first cry, felt in true love's first kiss, wondered at when love is unconditional and experienced when we are reborn. The purity of holiness. The inexpressible joy of being made clean. Robed in God's goodness as we trade our rags for His riches.
One day, of course, the nations and everyone in them will bow the knee to Him Who sits on the Throne. They will have to. What nature and we who know Him already understand is that He reigns whether acknowledged or not. The nations are a drop in the bucket. Their ultimate destiny remains solidly in His hands. Nothing moves without God's say-so. Man can't re-establish boundaries or create stars. And if man were able to, it would only be because our King allowed it. Silly man who shakes his fist in the face of God and claims himself lord of his own life. Silly woman who struts away from the throne of splendor in order to create her own small life. And this while the rest of creation rejoices in the fullness of its specific glory. Reflects the majesty in which it is robed. Sings the praises of the Monarch of all Monarchs who clothes His creation in steadfast love and aching beauty.
Awaiting those of us who will live with the King forever is a kingdom we have only tasted here. There we will see our benevolent Monarch face to face. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe, and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining full strength. John, Revelation 1
And we all fall down.
Kay, what a magnificent picture you painted of the awesomeness of our Lord Jesus. Thank you!
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