Lord Of All The Earth
Joshua 3:13 And it shall be, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that carry the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters of
Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above. And they shall stand all in a heap. With the Ark of the Covenant there was this amazing demonstration of the glory of God in holy, uncompromising power. The very presence of God was evident, gaining great respect, honor, and fear from all those that would come near to touch it. When it was cared for and held in possession there was a force that could not be overcome by man, ocean, or army. It was a totally dominant power that yielded awe and alteration of conduct from all those that experienced its proximity. For all that found themselves near to this mere carrier of God’s glory, yielding to the lordship of this Presence was not an option. Wherever it was, there was no questioning its ultimate and complete authority. I like how there is a little phrase placed in the middle of this portrayal of what happened to the
Jordan river upon its encounter with the presence of God. In the middle of telling about a great miracle, the waters becoming frozen in rapt attention before the God of creation, there is a little reminder that, “Oh, by the way, He is Lord of all the earth.” For some reason there is a tendency in our minds to confine this ultimate authority to a story of long ago, a place of worship, or a gifted and honored teacher or prophet. It’s as if there is no need to acknowledge this ultimate power as long as waters aren’t standing at attention, storm clouds aren’t beating a retreat, and dead people aren’t leaping out of their death beds. Whether or not, however, there is a dramatic demonstration of His absolute control, there is a continual and unalterable reality that right here and right now, not matter where or when that might be, there is only one ultimate authority and power. It is Jesus, Lord of all the earth. His glory fills every place and wherever He is cared for and honored, there is an opportunity to experience His demonstrated power, grace and love. While it may seem evident that other forces are at work and in control, there is no question that, like the ark, the earth itself will demonstrate who is really in domination. Though there are areas where darkness seems to prevail and destruction is taking place, His holy light will ultimately shine into every corner and every crevice, exposing every nation, religion, race, gang, government, disease, lack, oppression, and sin to the attention demanding presence of the whole earth’s Lord. The coming year will be full of challenges to the reality of His Lordship. The sight of the opposition’s uprisings may, at times, appear to be overwhelming. There is, though, a surety for all those that would align themselves with the true Lord. No matter what the sight before us at the moment, the One we have chosen will make all things right and is setting everything according to His declaration and His purpose. Everything is moving towards His exalted end, and it is our privilege to declare His lordship in every situation in which we find ourselves, allowing the incredible deposit of His glory that has been made in us to impact the world around us. There will never be a good enough reason to despair and give up. Jesus is Lord of all the earth. There will never be a power strong enough to overpower the strength of our relationship with Him. Jesus is Lord of all the earth. Sickness cannot rob us of the life that is ours in Him. Death cannot deprive us of the eternal life that transcends the limitations of earthly existence. Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
