Richard Roberts
On April14, 1865, after President Abraham Lincoln had been shot, thousands of people wandered aimlessly through the streets of Washington. They were like lost children, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. In the middle of the confusion and tears, a man stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and proclaimed, “God reigns, and the government at Washington still lives!” That calmed everyone down, and soon they all headed home.
When something bad happens, whether to our nation or in our personal lives, many of us are tempted to act like those people did—wring our hands and worry and wonder what to do. The problem looms so large in our minds that we can’t see beyond it. But if in the midst of our problem we proclaim God as Lord and King of our lives, we can see things in better perspective. The problem doesn’t just disappear into thin air. But when we remind ourselves that God is King in every situation, things are never quite as bad as they seem at the moment.
Because God reigns, life can and will go on.
Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything (1 Chronicles 29:11 TLB).