Some people act like they’re above it all. God is. He doesn’t have to act. 

He is the God of flora and fauna.

He is the God of peace and purpose. 

He is the Exalted One. 

He is exalted over all people groups, including those who think themselves superior to all other groups. 

He is exalted over all governments, including those whose policy declares his nonexistence.

God is the star of his own version of Wrestlemania. Take a look at verse 11 in The Message:

“Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, 
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭11‬ ‭MSG‬‬

This verse reminds us of Genesis 32. Jacob was on his way back home from his exile to his Uncle Laban’s territory. He came home with wives and children and flocks and herds aplenty. He also came home with a serious fear of the pending reunion with his brother who had promised to kill him years before. 

The night before the big wrestling match of Big Red and Little Jake, Jake wrestled a warm-up match with God. It was an all-nighter. Neither man could gain an advantage. Jake gave it all he had. Then, at daybreak, The Man he was wrestling with ended the match with a devastating blow. That’s when Jake realized he was wrestling with God.

Jake held his own for the most part. Then God gave Jake a wound that changed his whole world. Jake was famous as a runner. He ran from Esau. He ran from Laban. He was ready to run again when God put an end to his running days. He would never run again. He would limp through the rest of his life. He would move at the speed of God’s purpose. 

Jake was conniving and shrewd. Jake knew how to turn bad situations into better ones. He turned tables tilted against him until they were tilted in his favor. He out-manipulated his manipulating father-in-law. But he couldn’t manipulate God. 

The God who dispatched Jacob in an instant and gave him a more settled disposition does our fighting for us. He’s bigger than Goliath, craftier than Laban, more awesome than Nebuchadnezzar, more enduring than pharaohs and emperors, presidents and prime ministers. No dictators stand for long. No anarchists prevail. 

God is God. He’s in charge here. He provides the boundaries politicians cannot pass. He determines ultimate outcomes. We are safe in his care. 

It’s odd, isn’t it, how timely this psalm is every time we read it? Fortunately, our office has this verse on the wall at the entrance to what we call the Hearing God room. Be still. God is speaking. Lean in to listen. Trust him with everything and for everything.

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I will limp through the rest of my life so that I never move faster than my ability to hear God’s voice or to fulfill his purpose. 

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Our Father, here I am in the stillness of this moment. Give me ears to hear what you are saying. Give me a willing and obedient heart to move at the impulse of your love. I trust you for all things. Amen.