Friday, March 2

 Friday, March 2

Psalm 33:6-11 – By the Word of the Lord

In this passage the psalmist’s powerful metaphors celebrate God’s omnipotence and absolute sovereignty over the universe and all that is in it. By His Word, at His command, our world – our universe – exploded into existence, on a scale far beyond our ability to comprehend. The starry host numbers a hundred million times a hundred million, spread over billions of light-years. Closer to home, the waters which sustain us – oceans and aquifers, rivers and rain – likewise came forth by His Word.

Because of the enormous power manifest in the Creation around us, it behooves all mankind to stand in awe of God, to revere Him as the Creator. His commands, His laws, stand firm forever – not only the laws which so elegantly govern the physical universe but also those given to men, by which they are to live their lives and deal with God and one another. When “the plans of the nations” contravene those of the Lord, they are ultimately foiled; likewise “the purposes of the peoples,” if they oppose those of God, will eventually be thwarted. How could it be otherwise, given God’s supremacy?

In this Lenten season, when we reflect on our lives and on our relationship with God and one another, we cannot read this passage without feeling awed and humbled, not only by both the incomprehensible vastness of the universe but also by the intricacy and subtlety which it allows it to accommodate such tiny, fragile, limited beings as ourselves.

Living Out Lent: Upon further reflection, we cannot fail to find comfort here as well. Surely, given God’s omnipotence and sovereignty, all ultimately lies within His control, even when we cannot understand events which seem to us catastrophic and incomprehensible. Looking at all God has done, we can only be reassured that while we cannot see any reason for or justice in the blows life deals us, that all ultimately lies within His hands. We see only a few threads, but we must believe they are part of a far greater tapestry known to God alone.

Bill Applegate is a recently retired physician who lives on the coast with his wonderful wife, Patty, and three cats. He is a former Lutheran, a former Episcopalian, and now (permanently) an Anglican who feels greatly blessed by his family, his friends, and his Church.