The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Psalm 103:19 KJV
The entire chapter of this psalm extols the virtues and character of the Lord. He is presented as the one who heals and forgives but also as the Holy God who punishes sin. In the same chapter, his hatred for sin is highlighted but his love for the sinner is also equally highlighted. This is the balance that all who seek God must know and respect. You cannot claim to know God and not know the things he loves and hates. The only way I can avoid his wrath and live constantly in his mercy is to pursue a personal knowledge and experience of him. Can I say I have that already, or do I really need to seek him out right now, while I still have time?
It is that personal experience that made David write these words. I must see God as the one and only authority, the King of the whole universe. He is not like the kings of the earth who are made so by men's edicts or put in place by men like themselves. This is a God who has been reigning long before mortal man was ever created, and one who will continue to reign long after this earth, as we know it, will cease to exist. Mortal kingdoms rise and fall; the empire of Egypt ruled the world at a time, then came the Persians, Assyria, the French, the Romans, the Babylonians, Chinese, Russians, Spanish and so on. None of them can be said to be in charge of the world's affairs at the moment.
Kingdoms have risen for a season and then fallen, some of them to rise no more, but there is a kingdom whose reach and authority have not waned even with the passing of time, and that is the kingdom of the Most High God. His kingdom does not take validity from the earth, so the principles of time and change and chance that impact the earth do not apply to it. It does not take its validity from the approval of men so it does not need man to support it for it to thrive. The kingdom is that of the Lord, with its foundation laid away in the heavens, far from the power, influence, control or impact of man. After all, I can only change the outcome or limit the impact of anything that is totally under my control. If it is not mine to control, it is not mine to limit. The kingdom of this God is one like that: He reigns and rules over all that He has created.
And as He has created all, all of creation is under his authority. Now, this is where it gets funny: I can claim independence or freedom, but the truth is I am never really free from authority. I am either under the control and influence of the Most High or under the control of the devil. There is no middle ground or fence to sit on, and even not deciding who to submit to is itself a decision. You might not agree, but as long as you are on this earth, the kingdom of this God extends to you. It is not subject to your consent, just as the authority of a nation would extend to all who live in it. It will be good for me to embrace this authority and submit to it now, of my own freewill, so I can enjoy both its earthly as well as eternal benefits. This is the one kingdom whose reach extends beyond the grave, and all who are under its control enjoy victory over the grave too. Am I really a subject of God's kingdom? Is he my God, or do I have other allegiances? Eternity hangs on the answers to these questions. His time of favour is here.
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