Who is in control of the world?
Psalm 33:10-15. February 17, 2023 - Friday, 6th Week
The main theme of Psalm 33 is God’s control over the world He created. The psalmist compares the plans of the nations with God’s plan and God’s power with military powers. In both cases, humans are no match for God. The Lord brings the plans of nations to nothing and military equipment is unable to deliver (see Ps 33:10-11; 16-17). The psalmist also indicates that the Lord knows everything about each one of us. This can be either good or bad news depending on who hears it - the one who fears the Lord or the one who disobeys him.
There is a story in the Second Book of Kings about a king of Syria making plans to attack Israel (see 2 Kings 6:8-23). The problem was that each time the king made plans, prophet Elisha knew about them and warned the king of Israel. The topic of bringing plans of the nations to nothing runs throughout the entire Bible. We tend to oppose God’s plan of salvation with our plans. There are moments in the Bible that would suggest that God’s salvation has been thwarted by our rebellion against Him. But, as the story continues, the designs of God’s heart always prevail “through all generations” (Ps 33:11).
This message of the Scriptures is encouraging for God’s people. Watching the news, one gets the impression that our contemporary world got out of control. Everyone does what they think is right, and fewer people seem to pay attention to God and His commandments. The reality of our world tends to undermine our faith in God’s providence. But the psalmist reminds us that the Lord looks down from heaven and sees all humankind (Ps 33:13).
The Catechism of our Church teaches that God’s providence “is concrete and immediate; God cares for all, from the least things to the great events of the world and its history” (CCC, 303). At the heart of the message of the Scriptures is trust in the Lord. This message is particularly important when facing the reality of evil and wickedness. Saint Augustine said: “For almighty God. . ., because he is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself” (CCC, 311).
We often ask the question: who is in control here? The psalmist and the entire Scripture answer: God is in control. No one and nothing can undermine and thwart God’s plan and the desire of His hearts. And His plan and desire are to prosper us, to give us hope and a future life devoid of suffering, pain, and evil (see Jer 29:11; Rev 21:4).