"righteousness and justice" are the foundations of Your throne".
"Fire goes before You and consumes Your foes on every side."
"Lightening lights up the world and the earth sees and trembles" (v. 4).
The mountains melt like wax before You; Father, before the Lord of all the earth (NIV).
The volcanoes and earthquakes of earth make people tremble with fear over the devastation they can cause. They fear for their lives. Now we have something very akin to this sort of escalation multiplied 1000's of times over. Now is the time of COVID-19. People are shaking and quaking, not just from the virus but from those who've lost jobs and who can't feed themselves nor pay other bills. What about them?
I do know You care Father but I don't know what to say or ask.
Except...
Father, may the peoples of the Earth look up to You and seek You, now, like never before. May they look up to You, our Righteous and Holy God to Whom they will have to give account of themselves. and their actions of life so far.
The leaders of the world, all the nations, all the people, down to the individuals in each and every nation, to all the ends of this earth: North, South, East and West. may they realize You, and You alone, are the Righteous, Holy One Whom they need to fear more than anything else.
May they also realize Your goodness, love and care for each of them.
As the heavens proclaim Your righteousness to all the citizens of Earth, may they worship You and NOT idols. May they turn from all their gods that they have been putting their boast in. Those gods that can't do anything much for them. May all of us earthlings realize that it is Your enemy Satan and his demons that are behind all those, supposed, gods. Gods who did not send their sons to die a sacrificial death for them to give them salvation, to give them forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life. Those are gods that demand and demand and demand their very life to earn their favor. In the end, they will only face destruction in hell with the Devil and his minions.
May Zion rejoice and all the villagers of Judah and everywhere else, be glad (v. 8).
Father, Your son Jesus walked among these villages, from Galilee to Jerusalem; all the regions of Samaria and Judea. He walked them up and own, back and forth. Many of that generation were glad and rejoiced but many others did not. Many mocked Jesus, many wanted Him to leave their area. many wanted Him to be dead so He wouldn't trouble their consciences, upsetting their "apple carts" or rocking their boats.
In the end, they shouted, "Crucify Him!" and again, "Crucify Him!" in rage and jealousy; angry maliciousness steamed with the sentence of 'the Cross'.
They did not want to hear Your judgments; Your convictions.
Oh Most High God, Jesus would have brought them under His 'wings' like a mother hen does for her chicks and provide the needed protection. Sadly, He could only weep over Jerusalem, that seat and symbol of the whole nation of Israel.
Father God, how You must weep even now, over all the Earth; how people have renounced You; will not acknowledge Your existence; some shake their fists at You saying, "Where's God?!"
Yet we have recently heard wonderful stories emerge like the atheist doctor from Italy saying that because of this corona virus--the extent of it bringing everyone, without prejudice, to their knees--he had to acknowledge You. In other places, men and women cry out to you in the streets. They really seem to mean it.
You reign, Father God!
You are most High, reigning over all the Earth that belongs to You. You love those who love You and let those who love You hate evil.
"Guard the lives of Your faithful ones" (v. 10).
Indeed, You guard us, Your followers of Jesus Christ. You do deliver us from the hand of the wicked (v 10). You shed Your light upon us and we have joy in our hearts as we live in an upright manner.
Due to Jesus' atoning work on the Cross, may we allow Your Holy Spirit to reign freely in our hearts. May we make You Lord and Master and King of our lives.
"Lord, reign in our lives".
As we sit in Your presence Father on this Good Friday, we remember the work You accomplished upon the Cross, for us. While partaking of the bread and cup of wine, help us truly understand the portent of all Jesus has done for us.
In thankfulness, and in return thanks and devotion, may each of Your followers say, 'The LORD reigns" in my life, may He reign forever.
Yes, I know we still make mistakes and often fail You miserably, so we thank You that when we confess them to You, You forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). You purify us 100% from even any single taint or stain of those sins. We are grateful, glad, and rejoice in you, the Righteous one. We praise Your Holy name.
Reign, Eternal King Jesus, reign! Let the Earth rejoice!
It was an awful Good Friday for Jesus and You, Father, but it was a wondrous one for us!
In Jesus our Savior's powerful Name, we give you thanks and praise,
Amen.
~ERC April 2020~
Prayer based on Psalm 97
Song, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - sung by Choir of Kings College, Cambridge
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