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Intention

To recognise that God’s rule extends beyond the four walls of the church to the life of the nation, and to take up our part in seeking its righteousness.

Scripture

“Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people he has chosen as his own inheritance.”

– Psalm 33:8–12

Reflection

When William Wilberforce came to faith as a 26-year-old member of Parliament, he experienced a personal crisis. Fearing that serious Christianity and politics didn’t mix, he was contemplating a retreat from public life.

So, he went knocking on the door of his mentor John Newton — a former slave trader turned clergyman — to ask for advice. Newton counselled Wilberforce not to retreat or cut himself off from his former friends. He later wrote to Wilberforce, “It is hoped and believed that the Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation.”

Wilberforce ultimately decided to stay in Parliament. In 1787, he journaled, “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.” He pursued both for the rest of his life and changed the course of Western history.

Many Christians today share the instinct that drove Wilberforce to Newton’s door. We think of faith as something that belongs in the church, the home and the heart, and prefer to leave the big cultural questions to someone else. Psalm 33 challenges such a mindset.

This psalm doesn’t address a congregation — it addresses the world. “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”

The God who made the world has not narrowed his concerns to what goes on in church sanctuaries. His claim on creation is limitless. In the words of Abraham Kuyper, “In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, ‘Mine!’”

In this psalm, we also see two kinds of counsel. The nations make their plans, which the Lord brings to nothing. And the Lord makes his plans, which stand forever.

We have watched this play out in our own lifetimes. Beginning last century, the West ran a risky experiment. We removed every trace of God from public life. In exchange, we were promised neutrality and progress. Instead, we got chaos. The counsel of the nations is coming to nothing, just as Psalm 33 says it would. It is increasingly obvious, even to the unchurched, that we desperately need God back in our culture.

This brings us to Psalm 33’s headline promise: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Though this was addressed specifically to Israel, the principle is not confined to Israel. Nations that follow God are blessed.

Proverbs 14:34 agrees: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Just as Wilberforce came to see, God is interested in saving individuals and he is committed to making nations righteous. He cares about both.

Jesus said the same when he commissioned the church. He sent us to “make disciples of all the nations,” teaching them “to observe all things that I have commanded you.” And he based this commission on a universal claim: “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”

Yes, the Christian faith is deeply personal, but God never intended it to remain private. The gospel Jesus gave the church to preach includes a long-neglected truth: Christ is Lord of all.

God has commissioned the church to share this message with the world. In order to do that, we’ve first got to believe it ourselves.

Video

Prayer

Lord of all the earth, you spoke, and it was done; you commanded, and it stood fast.

 Forgive us for shrinking your kingdom to the size of our Sunday gatherings, and for leaving the life of our nation to others. We confess that your counsel stands even when every human scheme comes to nothing.

Give us the courage of Wilberforce to raise a banner for righteousness in our homes, workplaces, schools and parliaments, for the good of your church and the good of our nation.

Raise up men and women who will carry your righteousness into public life. And turn the heart of Australia back to you, until we can say again: blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Author Bio

Kurt Mahlburg is a husband to Angie, a father, a freelance writer, and a familiar Australian voice on culture and the Christian faith. He is the Senior Editor and a regular columnist at The Daily Declaration.

Kurt’s breakout title, Cross and Culture: Can Jesus Save the West?, explores the social and spiritual challenges facing Western nations and the hope Jesus offers in our crisis.

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