God Is In Control

God Is In Control

Psalm 66.7 He rules forever by His power,

    His eyes watch the nations—

    let not the rebellious rise up against Him.

We need to be reminded in these days that God is in control.

Tomorrow night's Presidential Debate at Hofstra will be the most viewed presidential debate in history.  The issues are huge. We have terrorism and unrest in places we never would have dreamed of. We can feel that things are out of control and in some realms they are but...

This is My Father's World

Last Verse:

This is my Father's world. 

O let me ne'er forget 

that though the wrong seems oft so strong, 

God is the ruler yet. 

This is my Father's world: 

why should my heart be sad? 

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! 

God reigns; let the earth be glad! 

The Psalms are among other things a medicine for the soul.  They speak to our inner being.  They can bring calm and assurance from the LORD. The Psalms give us the path upward, out of discouragement and troubling thoughts. They point us to Christ.

Psalm  66 reminds us that God is in control of our lives, the world and the future.

Our concerns lie in these realms. The world, our own lives and the future.

1. In The World

* There is Missions in This

Myrna- More Christians than communists in China today. The surest way to make something grow is to persecute it. There are missionary aspirations in this Psalm for the future, the time we are now in.

 *There is God's Involvement in the World's Affairs

He is the world's Watchman.

Psalm 66:7. He rules by His power for ever — The same power which God possessed and exerted for his people in the Old Testament, He still possesses today and is as able and ready to act for them as ever He was. He has demonstrated that to us over and over again. 

He rules by His power for ever - The idea is, that He does this constantly; in each age and generation. He never has ceased to rule; He never will. His dominion extends from age to age, and will stretch forward forever.  That unchanging power, His people may have faith in and take refuge in.

His eyes behold the nations — He sees all their secret and subtle devices, and can and will defeat them, when He sees fit. 

*Warning

let not the rebellious exalt themselves] A warning to those who obstinately resist God’s will (Psalm 68:6, 18) to humble themselves rather than a prayer to God to humble them (Psalm 9:19).  God’s reproof of Sennacherib by Isaiah (Isaiah 37:23), “Against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high?”

Let not the rebellious exalt themselves — Lift up their hands against God or His people. 

The wicked should fear.

His eyes behold the nations - All nations; all people. He sees all their conduct. They can conceal nothing from him. They should, therefore, stand in awe. The wicked have much to fear from One who sees all that they do, and Who has power to crush and destroy them. 

Sovereignty forever

Christ is coming to reign and anyone who resists that is in rebellion.

"they shall not be exalted in themselves for ever;''

The prowess displayed at the Red Sea is undiminished: the divine dominion endures throughout eternity. His eyes behold the nations. Even as He looked out of the cloud upon the Egyptians so does He spy watch His enemies, and mark their conspiracies. His hand rules and His eye observes. He oversees all and overlooks none. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

His eyes behold the nations. The root meaning of the word hku is au to shine, to examine with a bright eye; to inspect with a piercing glance, and thence to behold, for either good or evil, as Proverbs 15:3: "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Here it is taken in an adverse sense, and means, to watch from a watch tower, to threaten from a lofty place. Ps 37:32: "The wicked watcheth the righteous; "and Job 15:22: He is waited for "from the watch tower for the sword; "that is to say, the sword is drawn above the head of the wicked, as if it threatened him from the watch tower of God. But, at the same time, there is also a reference to God's looking from the pillar of fire, and of cloud, upon the host of Pharaoh in the Red Sea. Ex 14:24.

His eyes behold the nations; the antichristian states. He sees all the idolatry and wickedness committed in them; and his eyes will be as flames of fire to destroy them, when the time is come. The allusion is to God's looking through the pillar of fire and cloud upon the Egyptians in the Red sea, and troubling them. Exodus 14:24

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Over the whole world; for Christ will be King over all the earth in the latter day, Zechariah 14:9

Right now - The Great Commission is in effect Go into all the world and preach the Gospel, make disciples of all nations.

Jesus began those words with "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me..." This verse reflects those words... He rules forever by His power,

    His eyes watch the nations..."

God is watching and working powerfully all over the world.

His eyes are on the nations and His people bring light... The group from East Rockaway Church who went to Haiti and bought several goats for some families. I love it!

2. In Our Lives

There are times when we feel like things are out of control.

When tragedy comes.

When the enemy comes in like a flood.

What is going on in the world today

What is going on in nations affects us.

He overrules.

Romans 8.28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose. 

How He does this is amazing.

He is forever faithful.

He is the Master Weaver.

We see at this time just the backside of the tapestry.

God is in control...

3.Yesterday, Today and Forever 

He rules forever by His power

for ever= What is true for the past is true for the present and the future. God’s sovereignty is eternal. 

Psalm 145:13; Jeremiah 10:10

Jesus' death and life

Acts 7.51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Acts 4.27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, LORD, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

God is in control. We need to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 16.

"I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

Just completed reading Revelation. We win. God rules.