”But my God is king from long ago: He brings salvation to the earth.” (Psalm 74:12 NIV)
My upper zoom friends and I have been sitting in the Genesis account of Joseph for weeks now, maybe even months. We are over and over astounded by the young man’s surety of faith despite the onslaught of terrible twists in his story. Joseph was subject to so many disappointments and difficulties, yet his trust in God only seemed to strengthen rather than waver. Amidst the awful, Joseph remained optimistic about God’s ability to redeem it all.
This morning’s cold plunge into the Psalms stated it concisely. “But my God is king.”
It’s strange, ‘but’ is actually a favorite word for me to discover in scripture. It often cancels out everything that comes before it. This particular psalm is laying out the destruction of the nation, the devastation of the Temple and the dispersion of God’s people yet the psalmist follows it up with a but. “But my God is king.” The worst may happen, but my God is King.
Think about dear Joseph for a moment.
My brothers hate me, they want me dead.
But my God is king.
I’ve been sold into slavery and sent off to Egypt.
But my God is king.
I was accused of a crime I didn’t commit and put in prison without so much as a court hearing.
But my God is king.
I served the cupbearer and he forgot me completely.
But my God is king.
I see this in Joseph’s story but I’ve also traipsed through enough of life’s landscape to see it in my own. Our sovereign King is entirely faithful and He never steps off the throne, not even for a minute.
Take a moment to apply this to the world you live in.
The car is in the shop again.
But my God is king.
The doctor gave a difficult diagnosis
But my God is king.
Inflation is out of control.
But my God is king.
The kids are making choices I wouldn’t make.
But my God is king.
My marriage seems to be coming apart at the seams.
But my God is king.
These are our presidential candidates.
But my God is king.
”But my God is king” overwrites every difficulty, disappointment and disaster. Miraculously though, it also reins us in amidst promotion, favor and wealth. We can rest easy because our sovereign King never abandons His holy post. He keeps our lives in check with careful sovereignty. Consider again, our dear Joseph:
Pharaoh needs a dream interpreted.
But my God is king.
Suddenly, I’m second in command with the wealth of Egypt at my fingertips.
But my God is king.
Famine is coming and the nations will look to me to provide.
But my God is king.
My betraying brothers are before me begging for bread.
But my God is king.
Against all odds, I got to see my father and homeland once more.
But my God is king.
Surrendering to God’s sovereignty works when we are on the way down, but also buffers us from ourselves on the way up.
Recognizing and submitting to the kingship of God is both a comforter and a correction. When we rightly discern His majesty, we are both encouraged and edified. We learn to trust Him through the changing seasons of our life as we make our way toward total sanctification and eternity alike.
”The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed the world is established, firm and secure.” (Psalm 93:1 NIV)
Lord, please help us wrap our minds around Your majesty. Let Your sovereignty seep into our understanding of reality. Help us live in a way that absolutely trusts in You, even when we can’t quite see what You are accomplishing. Amen.