I was reading Psalm 97 today. It begins … “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad, let the distant shores rejoice!”
What a great beginning, and I love the way the song ends: “Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.” [Ps 97:10-12 NLT]
God guards the lives of His faithful children. He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Promises of protection, assurance, security, and deliverance flow from Him. Then the psalmist really makes my heart sing in thanksgiving … “Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.”
God gives light. God gives joy. Light. Joy. Out of the darkness and into the Light. Grief for a night, but joy in the morning.
This is only possible because THE LORD REIGNS! Because our God is the God of All-Power, we have the assurance … the eternal assurance … that the Light of Christ in us will never be snuffed out by something or someone stronger than Him. The joy He gives us will echo through our lives not just for the few decades we abide on this earth but will echo through the Halls of Heaven for all eternity.
Rejoice Christian – Your Lord Reigns! And that will never change!
