Todays readings.. Leviticus 25, Psalms 135, 136, Luke 8
“WHATEVER THE LORD PLEASES HE DOES”
This quotation from today’s Psalm [135 v.6] is a challenge to our perception of the ways of God, let’s think about this. Today, at least in this country, the attitude is that you must let children do as they please! The reasoning is that parents must not stunt the development of their personality. We strongly suspect that the wild behaviour we have seen so much among young people these days is an outcome; so many do as they please. We pondered on this when we read, “whatever the LORD pleases he does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” we do not perceive that God is in any way treating the earth like a toy – indeed the very opposite.
Verse 8 refers to how he “struck down the firstborn of Egypt” and he “sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh” [v.8,9] – so God is involved in life on earth even though the most important men, like Pharaoh, blindfold their minds to the fact. Our thoughts often run along these lines when we listen to the news. We were in California, U.S.A after a large earthquake there – and many were concerned that many new fault lines had been discovered. Earthquake proof tall buildings had swayed and one who worked high up in one said she started feeling a little seasick!
The phrase “in all deeps” in v.6 arrested our attention. In the past what happened in the depths of the ocean did not seem to matter – those deeps are deeper than the earth’s highest mountains. But we recall how, not that many years ago the mighty earthquake below the deep waters off Japan triggered that awesomely destructive tsunami; its effects stunned leaders and people around much of the world.
The same Hebrew word, that is used for “deeps” occurs in Gen. 7 v.11 about the start of the flood when “all the fountains of the great deep burst forth” The world should be thankful that God has promised that “never again shall there be a flood to destroy all the earth.” [9 v.11]
Today in the world there is increasing fear of the future. How spiritually challenging are the words we read in Psalm 112- that “the righteous will never be moved … he is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid” [v,6-8] even though he knows, “whatever the LORD pleases he does …” and we will read in Luke later this month awesome prophetic words how “the LORD pleases” to show his anger, as he did with Egypt long ago. May we, by His grace, develop the spirit of Moses now – to have hearts ready for the awesome wonder of that coming time.
