To Choose and not to Choose

(This reading is based on Psalm 117, and is read in accordance with the Revived by His Word initiative of the General Conference of SDAs.)

"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.  Praise the Lord!" Psalm 117

No Choice

While we get to choose whether or not we serve the God of Heaven, we have no input into the fact that He is God. He's not the God of the universe by our vote; He made everything; He owns everything. God is sovereign... period.

Declare His Sovereignty

The Psalmist is here unapologetic about his call to "all Gentiles." Now a Gentile is a non-Jew/Israelite, and the call is made by the Psalmist within the framework that the Jews were God's chosen people. This did not mean that He was there exclusive property, or that He existed only for them - they were His chosen medium to reach the rest of His creation.

      

Are we not sometimes so bent on being politically correct that we, too often, undermine God's sovereignty - in order not to be disrespectful of a fellow human's "authority," or to offend their "sensibilities?"  The preservation of peace and civility must not be at the expense of our declaring the sovereignty of the God of Heaven.  Of course, "He that winneth souls must be wise," (Prov. 11: 30) so we must be sensible, but we're not here to "get along" with people; we're here to declare God's agenda.

Let Us Pray

Father in Heaven today it is our delight to heed the call to praise You.  But more than that we wish to add our voices to making the call for Your worship; for indeed You are worthy... to all of us.  Help us not to be so careful to preserve our place on this earth, as we will be inclined to secure our place in Your kingdom.  So we pray the prayer of our Lord, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven;" Amen. Matt. 6: 10.

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