Psalm 33

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. 7He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses.
8Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

Lord,
As I read this poet, first he exhorts praise, second he affirms your highly ethical character and third he reflects on your creation. We praise you because the creation itself is marked by your justice and righteousness – so the poet seems to imply.

We know all about “The Law of the Jungle”; The big cats eat Bambi! But the poet doesn’t seem to be thinking about the laws of the animal kingdom. This poet is moving towards your expectation of the nations, your expectation of human nature. Woven into the fabric of the universe is your expectation that humanity, individually and corporately, will conform to your character. What a mess we’ve made of it!

So how does all of this fit with the debate about health care and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Palestinian conflict and racial stress in America and children in poverty? You know, O Lord, and in some measure, so do we.

Well, perhaps we know what we want to know or what our fears and greed allow us to know.

PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for wisdom and will to personally reflect God’s character in the affairs that so powerfully shape the lives of God’s children everywhere.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.