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Times of uncertainty can be disorientating for us. The inability to know what will come next can cause us to be uncertain and anxious. Such feelings are normal for finite humans who cannot see into the future. Yet, Christians ought to hold onto God in uncertain times because in Psalm 33 we see God as the God of History, the One who is in perfect control.
- The Certainty of God’s Plans
Psalm 33 establishes that God’s plans stand firm forever (v.11). Whatever God plans will happen at exactly the appointed time. God has never been more or less in control. We can be certain of God’s plans coming to pass because they occur with his created world. The psalm shows God to be Creator in (vv.6-9) and we are included in that creation (v. 15). The truth of God’s control should displace any notion in our minds that God is the aloof Creator, who created the world, set the stage, gave us the props and then removed himself. God has not lost control. He exercises complete control, and his plans are certain to come about.
- The Loving Content of God’s Plans
God is in control, but are his plans any good? Should we be worried? The thought of the world being overseen by a God without any standard of goodness is a frightening thought. Thankfully, that’s not the case. God is Holy and we see his character summarised in (vv.4-5). God’s ‘unfailing love’ is mentioned three times through this psalm (vv.5,18,22). This is the love that he shows to us, the undeserving. The love that has brought us into covenant relationship with himself. He has done all the work and orchestrated human history to bring about salvation for his chosen inheritance. God’s plans then are the purposes of his heart and so reflect his nature (v.11). We see the love of God towards his rebellious creation through the plan of salvation that took Christ to the Cross.
- The Consequence of our Hope
When discussing the consequences, we can’t just say that the consequences of this truth are the same for all. No, how you respond and what you believe will have consequences.
- For those who misplace their hope
Those who reject the offer of salvation through Christ are rejecting the only effective means of salvation. They are rejecting the only hope they have of eternal life with God in Heaven. You’re setting yourself up in opposition to the Creator of the world and the Director of world history. What a foolish position to put yourself in for God foils the plans of his opponents (v.10). We see the foolishness of misplacing your hope in (vv.16-17). Now is the time to change the foundation of your hope, whilst there is still time.
- For those who hope in the Lord
If our hope is in the Lord, then, what he has done in the past for us cannot be undone and what he has promised for our future is certain. Christ’s decisive and victorious intervention in human history is the greatest demonstration of God’s unfailing love for us. Knowing that God is in control of all human history and knowing that he is the redeemer of creation should foster confidence in the mind of the believer. It should enable us to exercise faith even when we can’t see what God is doing. The final three verses of this psalm ought to be our own prayer.
Matthew Magee