The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
Psalm 19. 9b
It is a truism to say that we live in uncertain times and times where there is much that is, quite simply, evil.
As I write the situation in Afghanistan looms large as the country once again falls under the sway of the Taliban and thousands are seeking to leave with the possibility of many being able to do so.
The sight of China and Russia circling Afghanistan and courting the Taliban for the mineral wealth that the country possesses underground, is to say the least, unsettling.
A documentary on BBC2 last evening tracing the way that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Machine seeks to infiltrate every part of as many nations as possible as it seeks to be the dominant power and economic force in the world, presented a very bleak picture for the future unless the free world wakes up.
An article by William Hague in the Times this morning highlights the great significance of Africa in this time of global jockeying for position with powers like China seeking to buy their way in. And so I could go on.
Granted, readers this morning will react differently to these things depending on their politics, but I highlight them to make the power and wonder of Psalm 19.9b stand out as the only place for certainty and righteousness.
The creator God, set this world in place and it is ordered in such a way that following his ordinances, commands, statutes, precepts, leads to certainty and righteousness.
Sadly, indeed tragically, that is not what we see for we (humankind) have given in to the wiles of the evil one, followed his promptings and what I have listed above is but a cameo illustration of the consequences.
Psalm 19, and indeed all of God’s revelation of himself through his word give us hope and certainty as we live in these uncertain times and we need to remember that it has been thus since the fall.
So the challenge to us this morning is to root ourselves firmly in this truth. In spite of the mess The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous and God has confirmed his absolute commitment to this truth and to those who are his, by sending his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to live among us, to walk in our shoes, so that he knows fully and completely what we face on a daily basis.
Therefore look up and trust him. He is sovereign over Afghanistan, he is sovereign over China and Russia, Africa, the Muslim world…all of creation and he is righteous in all he does.
Look up, trust him and rejoice today and share your God given hope and confidence with others.