It's going to be ok.

Usually when I wake up in the morning, as my alarm drags me into the day and I fight to keep my eyes open, I turn to social media to get the cogs turning and catch up with the world. Yesterday morning (9 November 2016), however, I hesitated before tapping the little Facebook icon. This was going to be a big one. 

I knew I needed to engage with some more ground-breaking realities first before facing the next mad thing of 2016, whichever way the US election had gone while I slept. So, I tapped the Bible app instead and sleepily listened to the first two psalms. 

These verses talk about what makes a person blessed, about delighting in the Lord, and about real wisdom. They refocus our gaze on the number one priority: being right with God and knowing him. 

Psalm 2 is particularly striking. It talks about people and leaders plotting against God, and yet how little we need to fear that. It reminds me of the story of the tower of Babel, where people want to demonstrate their own greatness by building a huge tower to the heavens, which ironically God has to come down to look at. Humans are always trying to make themselves great, to seek power and prove their worth. But this psalm makes it abundantly clear that God has already appointed his chosen king, greater than any earthly leader. It ends with a call to submit to that king, Jesus Christ, and celebrate his rule – for that is where true blessing lies. 

These truths are a great way to start any day, but they were particularly welcome yesterday. Armed with the truth of God's promises, I ventured into the online world, and was so very glad to have prepared my heart. There were so many messages of despair and people crying 'God help us' without any actual hope of his doing so. It made me sad to realise the hopelessness of so many who do not have the comfort of these words when world affairs do not go the way they would wish. Even those who were satisfied with the outcome would benefit from knowing this promise of a far better ruler. 

I'm so thankful to know that these words are true. It is a joy to be certain of Christ's future reign in the daily grind, but especially so to be assured on more momentous days that God is in control and will bring all things under the rule and authority of Jesus Christ. 

Psalm 2 says that in the face of the world's rulers plotting together, the One enthroned in heaven laughs. Most of us probably don't feel like laughing at the state of the world, whatever our reaction to this week's news, but the creator can scoff at these things. He has already chosen a much bigger and better king than even our favourite president. 

So don't place either your despair or your confidence in the leaders of the world. Leaders come and leaders go; nothing shocks the God who made them all. Instead, listen to the call of God's word, and look to that perfect ruler who lasts forever.

This post was also published on Those Lines.