Psalm 22:28-29 For dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him–
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

The first 21 verses of this Psalm are an amazingly detailed and accurate description of Christ on the cross, which is doubtless why He quoted the first line of it while He hung there. However, from verse 22 it seems to switch gears. Actually, though David didn’t realize it when he wrote it, from verse 22 it is talking about Christ after His resurrection. These two verses are a reminder of a truth we are prone to forget, and that is that God really is in charge. Dominion really is His, and the “high and mighty” cannot even keep themselves alive. Everyone will bow before Him; the question is simply whether we will do it now by choice, or whether we will do it at the judgment seat in absolute terror. We spend lot of energy trying to keep our-selves alive, and medical science has benefited from that, but in the final analysis, we die. Keeping that reality in mind is very helpful in ordering our priorities in the here and now. We should receive and appreciate all the blessings God has for us in this life, but know that all of it put together is no more than a drop in the bucket (to use a Biblical phrase – Isaiah 40:15) compared to eternity to follow. If we have this reality firmly in mind, then all sorts of stress and anxiety go out the window. God is God, and that’s the last word.

I’ve gotten stirred up about many things over the years, and most of that has been a complete waste of energy. That’s not at all to say I’m not to care, and certainly not to say I’m not to pray, but it is to say I’m not to be anxious. I’ve put plenty of emotional energy into the current political situation in the US, for example, when that energy would have been better spent in trusting prayer. I’m also to remember that since we can’t keep ourselves alive, I am to use every moment I am given to serve my Lord. That doesn’t mean running around frantically doing things, because sometimes obedience means resting. However, it does mean that I’m not to consider my time, my abilities, or even my body as my own, but recognize that they are entrusted to me by my Creator, and keep them available for His use at all times. If I will do that, His purposes will be accomplished on His schedule for His glory, and I will be greatly blessed in the process.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Recently things have come at me at a pace that tempts me to become frantic and/or anxious. Help me indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You, remembering that You are Lord and I shouldn’t try to be. I ask that Your perfect will be done throughout today, in the morning service, in the wedding, and in everything else. May today be a day of great blessing for the couple and for the whole church, and may their families hear and receive the Gospel that will be presented, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!