7 The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

The Lord reigns and he is in control. As in the days of the Old Testament prophets and when Israel had left God, many would question if God was still in control. As then, even now God is over all things and still determines which nations will prosper and which will fail. Many bemoan our nation and the decadence of our society. Blame is often placed with our civil leaders or with special interest groups or with Hollywood and all of these probably rightly so. Some have even predicted the impending doom of this great country because of the separation of so many with the God who made us strong. What does the future hold? Only God knows for sure. What we do know is that God is in control and he has shown that he is willing to save an entire nation for a few righteous people. What can we do? We can live for him, teach others to do this and never forget to pray. The fervent prayer of a righteous person can accomplish a lot.

Not only is God in control but he is our faithful stronghold in the midst of the battles and storms of life. When we are faced with what life has to offer, we can turn to God and know that he will defend and protect us. He will give us comfort and peace when we are depressed and lonely. He will give us strength when we are tired and weary. He will give us joy when we are sad and feel rejected. God is in control and he loves each one of us.

What about when we are happy and things are going our way? It is then that we are most often tempted to think we are doing things right and forget that God is in control. Instead of becoming proud, we must be grateful and give him all the praise and honor. It is not just about nations but about each of us as individuals that God is in control. We thank God for the wonderful fellow Christians that help us each day and who lend so much support to our efforts. We thank God for providing all we need each day.

O God, my heavenly Father, I thank you for the strength you give me and for the help of so many who support my efforts and encourage me. I ask that you use me and all that I do to your glory and to be a help to others. I ask a special blessing and special strength to those single parents who are struggling to live for you and to raise their young ones to serve you. Use me to be a source of strength and encouragement to them. Be a comfort to those who have lost loved ones and are so lonely and use me to lend some joy to their lives. I thank you for your love and faithfulness. In Jesus’ name.