“ Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” Psalm 135:6
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Psalm 135, an anonymously penned psalm from an uncertain date in the history of Israel, is, like so many other psalms, a passionate summons to praise the Name of the Lord. If you have the ESV Study Bible, you’ll find the following note concerning the purpose and intent of this psalm:
“ This hymn calls for God’s people to praise him for his majestic power that he has displayed in his deeds on behalf of Israel. Each generation that sings this would strengthen their faith and loyalty to the Lord, and deepen their gratitude toward him for their privileges.”
Like other psalms, this one also appeals to Israel’s miraculous redemption from Egyptian bondage in 1400 BC, and subsequent entrance into Canaan, as the proof of the Lord’s limitless compassion for His people and His unequalled power to accomplish His gracious purposes (vv. 8-14). But it is from that sixth verse in the chapter that we find our encouragement for this Monday.
This staggering claim, that our Lord does whatever pleases Him–whether it be in the vast expanse of space, on the earth, or in the depths of the sea–is meant to contrast His infinite wisdom and power with the lifelessness and impotency of all other supposed ‘gods.’ It is the proof that “ the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods” (v. 5).
As I write these words on this new Monday, it is very early in the morning and the sun is yet to arise. When I step out onto our deck, I can see a very bright moon and a host of stars glowing in the dark sky. I am always amazed at the sheer size of the universe that our Father has crafted with His own hands. Astronomers measure distances in space in terms of light years. Now, that metric doesn’t mean quite as much to some as it does to others. We could also measure and quantify the size of the universe in something a bit more familiar (and down to earth!), like miles.
How vast is space? Our universe is some 93 billion light years across. Stated in miles, that would be 93 billion x 6 trillion miles (the distance traveled by light in one year)! I’ll let you do the final math!
And then, we are also told that the surface of our earth is 196,900,000 square miles! The earth’s oceans contain an estimated 352 quintillion gallons of water and cover almost 140 million square miles of the earth’s surface! Consider your mind blown!
The psalmist tells us in verse 6 that throughout the heavens, all over the earth, and in the seas and oceans the God who has saved us does whatever gives Him pleasure and accomplishes His good purposes. Whether it’s an exploding supernova deep in the unseen recesses of space, an earthquake somewhere on the globe, or even the migration of whales in the ocean, our God is doing it! Nothing happens anywhere, literally anywhere, that violates His good pleasure and unfailing plans!
Verse 7 adds further confirmation to this amazing claim:
“ He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.”
Everywhere there is a ‘where’ our God reigns and is at work!!
Now, let’s take a moment to reflect upon what this means for us today.
Contrary to what we may sense or feel, our nation and our world (including each of our individual lives) are not spiraling out of control. While many things going on around us and happening to us are, indeed, out of our control, the gracious God who has delivered us, and has become our Father in His Dear Son, is even this very moment doing as He pleases in all of creation!
Just think about that: He is doing as He “ pleases” according to the psalmist.
What is it, then, that gives Him pleasure?
Well, first and foremost, He takes pleasure in bringing glory to His Son! So this means that on this Monday, like every other day in human history, our Father will be glorifying His Son all over this globe, and even to the very edge of the universe!
But, as Scripture tells us, our Father also takes pleasure in displaying His endless and immeasurable compassion to those whom He has chosen and redeemed through His Son’s precious blood!
Even this very instant, our Heavenly Father is working all across every square mile of creation to bestow His love and mercy upon the bride of His Son! What others see only as disruption, disaster, plague, turmoil, and evil occurring in our world, we recognize as the plans and intentions of our Father taking place “ according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5-6). And all these things, the good, the bad, and the ugly alike, will not only bring glory to that Name above all names, they will serve as vehicles for the delivery of our Father’s tender mercies to all who belong to Him!
I want to be the first to tell you that there have been many, many moments in the last six months in which I have been very afraid. And, frankly, I have found no consolation in any truth but this one: that my Father, and yours, does whatever pleases Him. And I know that one of the things that brings Him pleasure is being compassionate and ever merciful to someone like me.
No matter what happens in our world this week, we know one thing for sure: our God reigns everywhere and in everything! He does whatever pleases Him! And He is merciful and full of love! And in this alone we can find our peace and comfort.
I can’t even begin to express to you how much I love each of you! And I pray for you constantly, and delight in being your pastor and brother in the Lord.
In His grace,
Mike