“The LORD reigns, He is robed in majesty; the LORD is … armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.” –  Psalm 93:1 – 2, NIV

Until her passing on September 8, 2022, Queen Elisabeth II was the most powerful and the wealthiest woman in the world for all the 70 years that she was on the throne of the great British Empire.

But at her burial on September 19, the Archbishop of Canterbury said; “Now, let us remove all symbols of power from the coffin, so that our sister, Elizabeth can be committed to the grave as a simple Christian.”

At that very moment, all the symbols of power and wealth – the scepter, the crown and all the valuables were removed from the monarch’s coffin.

That somber episode awoke in my spirit the lyrics of the 18^th Century hymn titled; ‘Jesus Shall Reign,’ which Isaac Watts composed at the peak of the Great British Empire.

Unlike ordinary mortals, the reign of our Lord Jesus is eternal; it will never come to an end!

Throughout the Bible, God is portrayed as the King whose kingdom and reign would never end.

“The Lord shall reign for ever and ever,” said Moses in his song in Exodus 15:18. 

“God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne,” another scripture adds (note the present tense).

Our meditation today is from the ‘Royal Psalms,’ a section of the book of Psalms (Psalm 93 – Psalm 99) – poems that have the words “the LORD reigns” splintered throughout.

This set of psalms is part of the compilation of Book IV of the Psalter, which was specifically put together to cater for the period when temple worship and sacrifices had ceased over the 70 years when the Israelites had been carried away into captivity in Babylon.

To those who were in captivity under powerful emperors, the clarion prophetic declaration was that it’s the ‘the LORD who reigns’!

No matter how dire the situation might get, your LORD reigns! Say Hallelujah!

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

ISAIAH 52:7

The name ‘LORD’ (Elohim)speaks of the sovereignty of God, and of His absolute power and control over all His creation.

There is absolutely no throne or power or authority or dominion on earth or in the universe that can wrench control of the universe from our God, none; never! 

“The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice!” (Psalm 97:1).

Our joy in the LORD is not rooted in what is or is not happening around us; it rotates around the public acknowledgement of the reign of God in our world.

Whereas there are other forces that may be at work in our world, what is without doubt is that they can only work by our God’s express permission.

In the Old Testament, God did set up kings in Israel as well as the tabernacle and the priesthood to be the earthly representatives of His reign on earth.   

Their mandate was to; “Say among the nations that The LORD reigns” (Psalm 96:10).

Today, God has put the Church here on earth purposely to continually make that declaration to the world. That indeed is the true essence of the ‘Gospel.’

Isaiah 52:7 says; “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

Of course Isaiah spoke those words to people that were languishing in captivity in Babylon under powerful heathen emperors.

That implies that the Good News (the Gospel) is the proclamation of the reign of God to people who are captives to sin, Satan and self.

Never; I repeat never tire of proclaiming to every ‘nation’ or situation that the LORD your God reigns!

And by proclaiming the dominion of Christ, the Church confirms her own reign over the universe in Christ’s Name.

Romans 5:17 says; “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through Jesus Christ.”

That’s what the Bible means when it says; “Christ has made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Prayer:

Almighty God, I proclaim to the nations and to all the situations I face and to all the world around me that You reign! Forever and ever, Jesus You will reign, Your kingdom shall spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more. Amen!