"Kings and kingdoms will all pass away..."
I love that line from that old familiar hymn. It's a beautiful way to sing that all the kingdoms of history have an expiration date. Even the ones we know and live in today. I heard once that if you believe the empire can't fail, then the empire has a firm grip on you.
The psalmist of Psalm 146 also sees that all the plans of every kingdom perish when they're gone. Everything they worked for, fought for, and bragged about is gone. There were accomplishments and embarrassments, strengths and moral failings behind all those plans. Still, they are all gone. The writer compares the bound efforts of all the kingdoms of the world to God's reign, which is forever.
So, as people of God, we get to choose. Which kingdom will we honor and trust?
Now, let's be honest, it's easy to trust what feels powerful. For example, we live in the most dominant, militarily equipped country the world has ever seen. That makes who we feel we are more permanent than what we really are. Our leaders sound erringly like so many others in history. And that's important because the psalmist reminds us that human power is always temporary. Even the strongest rulers return to dust, and their plans go with them.
But God's kingdom works differently. The psalmist says the Lord executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets the prisoners free, and opens the eyes of the blind. That tells us that God's reign is not measured by force, but by mercy.
And when we care for the vulnerable, welcome the stranger, and lift up the weary, we align ourselves with the reign of God who lasts forever. Because empires rise and fall, but God's kingdom endures. And every day we get to decide which one shapes our lives.
Stay blessed...john
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