Here’s another picture of beautiful Washington state, courtesy of my childhood friend, Calvin Luce.

Psalms 132 

The Lord has sworn to David, a truth from which He will not turn back; of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne…For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, and her godly ones will aloud for joy. There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown shall shine. 

Oh no! That was my thought when I read this Psalm. I’m not sure what all this is saying and even more important, how do I write a compelling devotion that teaches and inspires. Yikes! I used to just skip over such Psalms (there are many confounding ones) but with a little research and diligence, the message began to emerge. I don’t have it all figured out, but what I do know is written below. How wonderful is the Word of God? Every word has purpose, but sometimes it takes a little time and diligence to uncover it. 

CS Lewis said, We are not long here. This is not our home. 

For us Christians, there is a longing built within us for a permanent residence within the Kingdom of God. Certainly, the Kingdom of God has come and is among us now. But I’m talking about the time when God snuffs out Satan, the evil world system is put away completely and God rules spiritually AND actually AND completely in form and substance. Oh, how we look for that day. 

This Psalm describe this longing and its ultimate fulfillment. 

Now as Christians, we usually think in simple terms of time on earth and time in heaven. We live on earth now and experience a full array of circumstances from joy and happiness to pain and suffering…and everything in between. We know heaven is going to be way better but we aren’t ready to go just yet. Not until we have squeezed all we can out all of our lives on earth. So, there’s life on earth and then life in heaven. 

However, to the Jewish mind and from the full scope of The Old Testament, there is more than just heaven that is longed for. The Old Testament, as well as the book of Revelation, is filled with the concept of the Messiah’s rule upon the earth of form and substance. A literal and physical kingdom on earth. Thy Kingdom Come; The Kingdom of God on earth; The Millennial Kingdom. This Psalm, especially verses 13-18, are prophetic words of the day that Jesus Christ the Messiah will be installed on the throne of David in the city of God in order to rule over the earth in peace. 

And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one. Zechariah 14:9 

As New Testament Christians, we are more familiar with the progression as taught in Revelation. The rapture; the tribulation; the second coming; the Millennial kingdom and rule of Christ on earth; the final destruction of Satan and the ultimate eternal state in heaven. Revelation, living up to its name, reveals the fulfillment of all of the prophetical writings in the Old Testament of the Kingdom of God on earth. 

This Psalm is our prayer for Jesus to come and rule in full form and substance. God is in charge now, no doubt. He is allowing the chaos of this world to unfold for a certain period of time. This is a time when He is calling many to find spiritual peace and salvation in Him in the midst of this current chaos. But a time is coming soon, when He will return and rule.  

We are not long here. This is not our home. Come Lord Jesus, come. Amen!