Established

Psalm 90:17 ESV

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,

                And establish the works of our hands upon us;

                Yes, establish the works of our hands!

Driving down the dirt road looking at a tri-fold paper. It was one of four that divided the county into four quarters. Each one had old buildings or trees of interest mapped out so you could get lost on low maintenance roads looking for these historic sites. Each had numerous sites on them, with one or two sentences with some background or description. One old school had the question “where did all the kids come from?” attached to it, it was a fairly remote site. Just enjoying driving the southern portion of the Flint Hills enjoying our first year as man and wife. Then we looked to the east and saw the particular site we were looking for, The Marshall House, a two-story stone home set off the road about a thousand feet. It was still in good condition but had seen better days. As always, I was dreaming of saving that home and bringing life back to that aged property. As with many things it just wasn’t meant to be, but we would regularly drive by and wish it was a little closer to the road, so we could get a better look. A few years later we went the long way back to pulpit supply while they were looking for a new pastor at our home church and it had finally fallen in the rest of the way. It seems that the dreams and money of one generation can’t establish even a beautiful stone home in the scenic Flint Hills, something else is required.

Young enough to have impressions of the lasting fatigue associated with the economic decline that came through the seventies is all I am blessed to remember. Talking with a good friend as he was recounting to me, the blessing of Ronald Reagan, and his frustration with our persistent inability to learn, and therefore our repeating of former folly. It seems that man is forced to pick himself up only to falter and fall again, like the proverbial maid “I just cleaned up this mess.” Until the day comes and no strength remains to pick up Humpty Dumpty’s pieces.  This is the pattern we see as we read through 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings, good kings followed by bad kings, with the occasional reprieve of two good kings next to each other. Hezekiah would resist an empire by faith in God, only to be followed by the most wicked King Judah had known. Josiah would lead a religious revival that would expand the borders of his country and evangelize previously Northern Kingdom lands, only to die in battle and be succeeded by three evil and wicked kings, leading to the fall of Judah, destruction of the Temple, and the Babylonian captivity.

How can anything on Earth be established? What will last the test of time? God promised David that his throne would be established, and despite the fall of the Kingdom, the destruction of the City of David, and the slaughter of many of his heirs, Christ was born and though he died yet he lived and sits today on the eternal throne. God’s word establishes that which will last. We are promised that the church has been established and we thus are assured that “the gates of hell will not prevail against it”. Many dark days may come, many sleepless nights, and maybe even abandoned fields of battle, but the church has been established by the word of God and thus when our work is part of the church our work is established for all time. The immortal souls of men and women are established for heaven or hell. There is no middle ground, no nihilistic out, the word of God has spoken and it is thus established.

The League of Nations could not keep the peace. The United Nations appears to be as inept as its elder sister. We have awoken to realize that Pax Americana was a dream and that strong men are required to keep the peace of nations. Men, able to rule themselves and able to break the peace when others wish to rule them instead.

Coram deo