“The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty.
Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days.“
Psalm 93:1-5
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Have you ever seen an angry baby suddenly fall asleep in its parents’ arms? One moment, they are fiercely determined, stiff, and red-faced; the next, they are limp and peaceful.
The fact of the matter is, in both cases they are vulnerable, entirely at the mercy of their (hopefully) faithful and loving parent. They might fight for a time, but they can do nothing to stay alive on their own. However, they might try to make their will central; they have no life outside their caregivers (for now! The tables will turn eventually).
This is, essentially, our posture in life. We do all we can to insist on our dominance and independence, our agency and identity. But we are in God’s hands. We were in God’s hands before we were conscious, and we will “fall asleep” in God’s hands, too. However fiercely we fight it, our lives are a tiny fleeting second in the midst of God’s story. Only God is from all eternity.
Nothing, nothing compares to this, to God’s endless days. Not our lives. Not the ageless mountains. Not the powerful, roaring seas.
The only response we can really make is worship. What else can we do? We are a grain of sand in the palm of God’s hand.
But this invitation to worship is not a concession, not giving up or declaring everything useless and senseless. For as we will see in the weeks to come, God is infinite and eternal—but that is not all He is. God is loving, good, holy, in control—and so much more.
Laying quietly in God’s infinite arms is a surrender to life, to goodness, and to peace. This surrender is not the end, but the beginning of everything.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What is your emotional and spiritual response to your own finiteness and God’s infiniteness?
- How does worship open a path to hope and life?
- Why does it matter that our infinite God is good and loving?
Church Reading Plan:
- Today, May 31: Isaiah 32; Revelation 2
- Saturday, June 1: Isaiah 33; Revelation 3
- Sunday, June 2: Isaiah 34; Revelation 4