God is in Control – Even When We Can’t See It

Psalm 93 is only five verses long, but in it there are truths about God that will establish anyone who will hear and believe on an unshakeable foundation.  

Verses 1-2 tell us some facts about God. 1-That He reigns presently (not that He used to reign or that He will reign, but right now He is in control).  2-That He is clothed with majesty – Kingly Garments (He has no need that we should cloth Him, He clothes Himself). 3-That He has girded Himself with strength (He has it all together and doesn’t need me to have it all together for Him. He is all powerful). And 4-His right to rule and reign were established before anyone or anything else existed, even before time began.

Verses 3-4, however, give us contrasting facts that seem to be opposed to verses 1 and 2.  In the eyes of many, because bad things have happened in the past (the floods “have lifted” up) this proves that the information we read in verses 1 and 2 are not true.  These facts cause us to question whether or not God is really in control. The same floods that have “lifted up” in the past, we remember them vividly because those floods made lots of noise (they lifted up their voice).  We remember noises, especially ones from the past, that affected us deeply. Regret, failure, disasters, situations that happened that haunt us. Anything that takes away our peace. Anything that reveals to us that we weren’t really as in control of our destiny or our situation as we thought.  These things leave a lasting impression on us that can bring us to doubt that God was ever really alert to our situation; or if He was, we wonder if he was ever even able to do anything about it if we had called upon Him for help! And then, if that isn’t enough, we are faced daily with harsh, cold realities; like cancer, tragic accidents, death, broken relationships, poverty, addictions, domestic abuse…the list goes on.  All of these are “floods that (presently) lift up their waves”. They are things that scare us and constantly rock us like waves on a ship at sea…at first they are just kind of there and then they start to annoy us and then they make us nauseous and then they overwhelm us! Is God really in control?? Why isn’t He taking charge in these situations and changing things?? And in this place we find ourselves in the same spot that the disciples were in when they were traveling across the sea of Galilee (Mark 4:38) in a small boat with Jesus resting in the front…a storm suddenly came up, the wind and the waves crashed against the boat AND into the boat, threatening their lives…until they finally in frightened desperation, woke Jesus up and asked Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?!”

And then He arose and responded by speaking a simple word to the waves and the sea, “Peace, be still!”  The disciples responded, after witnessing the event, saying, “who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

They learned then, what the Psalmist had already written in Psalm 93:4…”that the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, (mightier even) than the mighty waves of the sea.”  We’re afraid of the waves, and meanwhile our God is Lord OVER the waves and the sea. The scariest things in this life, were not a part of His original plan. Even though they were not part of God’s original order, God in His wisdom allows them to shake up our lives…so that we will look for something to hold onto in the middle of life’s storms.  The disciples cried out to Jesus and found that He had power over the storms of life. We who cry out to the Lord to deliver us, still find the same thing, that our God has power over the storms of life. That does not mean He will always stop the storm, but it does mean that no matter what happens we will have Him to hold onto in the middle of the storms.  He is not only our deliverer, but He is also a sure foundation no matter how bad things get, a very sure place to anchor our souls.

The Psalmist ends his song by writing this important truth, “Your testimonies are very sure (steadfast, unfailing, unmovable); Holiness (wholeness) adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.”

God’s Word, particularly this Psalm (song) was written to be sung, in order to remind the believer who would sing it that God is in control even when some of the things we see going on seem to prove otherwise.  And it was also written to be sung, so that those who believe, while singing it, would proclaim to the unbelieving world that they trust this God that though He cannot be seen at this time, the works of His hands are manifest in all that is taking place in His creation.