February 9: “God Rules Over the World” by Dr. Sharon Lee

Psalm 82

We have looked at descriptions of the Kingdom of God earlier this week, and it may be a good idea to look again at just how powerful God is on the earth. Psalm 82 reminds us that “God presides over heav- en’s court.” He is the King of the world. He makes decisions for all of us. He pronounces judgment. But there are times when we don’t like the decisions that God has made or we don’t like our current situa- tion.

The writer of this psalm is obviously going through a rough time in his life and is crying out to God. He knows that God is the ruler of the world, but wonders if He is allowing the wicked to prosper and the poor and helpless to be even more oppressed. He begs God to give justice to the poor and the orphan. We have plenty of evidence throughout scripture that God loves the poor and He even challenges us to care for the orphans, the widows, the immigrants, and others who may be oppressed. (Exodus 22:21; James 1:27) God absolutely cares about the oppressed.

Many worldly leaders in the past have addressed the issues of oppression and injustice. It sounds like
a great idea to deal with oppression, but historically, some of the worst political ideologies of the past began with a focus on how to deal with injustice. Sadly, sometimes the answer to oppression was push- ing philosophies that are counter to God’s compassion. Rather than focusing on caring for others, these ideologies have stirred people to war and hate for the oppressors. When God asks Christians to care about others, it is to establish His heavenly kingdom, not to push forward an earthly kingdom or politi- cal agenda.

As American Christians, we typically don’t rush to war and hatred, but we may consider our political system as superior to others and equate our earthly government to God’s heavenly kingdom. There is a danger in comparing any earthly political system to God’s kingdom. God is our ultimate king, and any other earthly system is a poor substitute for how God wants to establish His kingdom. As we consider how to care for the oppressed, looking to God’s plan is always the best.

Question: Are you pushing a political agenda without considering how God is choosing to care for the oppressed? How can you care for those whom God loves without being militant and hateful?

Prayer for today: Gracious and merciful God, give me a heart for the oppressed as I seek Your kingdom plan for those You love. Help me to focus on Your kingdom rather than earthly rulers or leaders. Amen.