Yielding. It’s not a word people like to hear. Especially when it comes to what we feel are our rights. My body. My life. My way.
And when anyone tries to make us yield, we fight as if our lives depended on it.
And when it comes to God, our lives do depend on it. If we want a blessed life, we need to yield to God as our King.
In this passage, however, we see how many people fight against God instead of yielding to him.
The Psalmist writes,
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together against the LORD
and against his anointed, saying,“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” (Psalm 2:1-3)
That’s how many people think when it comes to God.
“He’s trying to bind us. He’s trying to make our lives miserable. Let’s throw off these chains and shackles he’s trying to bind us with.”
It’s been that way for centuries, from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden, to the cross of Calvary, and even to our present day. And the day will come when all the nations will come together to fight against God one last time.
But,
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,“I have installed my king on Zion,
my holy mountain.” (Psalm 2:4-6)
In other words, all our fighting, all our striving, all our efforts are in vain when it comes to fighting against the Lord.
God has established Christ as King, and now says to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession. (Psalm 2:7-8)”
All the world will be subjected to the Son. Some will yield in love and awe. Others will surrender with fists clenched and teeth gnashed. But all will yield.
So how should we respond?
Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.Serve the LORD with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.Kiss his Son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment. (Psalm 2:10-12)
In other words, knowing that Jesus will triumph, we would be wise to yield now while we still have the choice.
To honor him and serve him with the awe and reverence he deserves. He is, after all, our rightful king. He created us and so we rightfully belong to him.
All that we have, even our very lives, are gifts from him. So why not yield?
All will kneel whether they want to or not. And if people persist in their rebellion against their rightful King, they will be destroyed.
But as the psalmist says,
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:12)
When we yield to him, we find peace, we find joy, and we find life.
We don’t lose anything by yielding. We gain everything.
How about you? Will you yield to your rightful king today?
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 