God our Savior . . . who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. (Ps. 65:5, 7)
God rules over nature. Many times in the Old Testament we see God exercising power over the natural world, withholding rain, closing the mouths of hungry lions, stilling the sun in the sky to prolong the daylight while God’s people won the battle. In the Gospels, this pattern continues with Jesus bringing peace to the raging storm, healing diseases, and even bringing the dead to life. The rest of the New Testament shows the way that this power has even been given to God’s people.
Psalm 65, though, connects this control of the natural world with political realities—the “roaring of the waves” with “the turmoil of the nations.” Just as God preserves his children from the terror of the natural world, he protects his children from the political powers of the world that frequently war against him. This is good news indeed as we consider the many political conflicts around the world. Many governments oppose God’s people and seek to marginalize or crush them; others court Christians’ support but rarely embody the gospel in public action.
We can know that God sees this too. We can know that nothing exists outside of his love and care for his children, and we can follow him without fear, no matter the opposition, because we are not abandoned.
Rest in the thought that God rules the nations.
Michael Jordan is the dean of the chapel at Houghton College (New York), where he also serves as chair of the department of biblical studies, theology, and philosophy.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
