The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord—at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; all the peoples see his glory.

There is a sound I love to hear
It's the sound of the Savior's robe
As He walks into the room where people pray
Where we hear praises He hears faith
Where we hear worship He hears faith

Y’all. The last couple of weeks have been rough. Really rough. Can we all agree on at least that much? There is so much going on, and so much shouting on all sides.

So many people telling us through their posts and speeches and tweets and instas that “silence is violence” and if we don’t say something we are horrible people. And at the same time these same folks are shouting at us to shut up and listen.

Add to that, there are some things going on in my own life that are looming large and weighing me down. Issues that don’t need to be mentioned here, but dang, I could use some prayer y’all!! Truly.

It’s been a really, really rough couple of weeks. I’ve cried more than I’ve laughed. I’ve grieved more than I’ve celebrated. And I’ve yelled and screamed into the silence of my home (or to my television or computer or to God) more than I’ve said in public (or private) to anyone.

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praise aloud
Sing His praise aloud

My dad fought in Vietnam but he never talked about it. I often wondered why. When I finally asked him, he simply said there were too many people already shouting about it, loudly, and he didn’t want to add to the cacophony of voices. He had his (very strong) opinions, but chose to keep them to himself – unless asked, privately – because there was already too much noise about it in the world. The war was far more complex, he said, than most made it out to be, and his opinions would take someone who was willing to listen and ponder and be open to the complexity. In other words, it would take someone who wasn’t a black-or-white right-or-wrong thinker, someone who understood the world was full of variances of greys, particularly when it comes to situations and people. And war.

I didn’t understand then, but I get it now; I get what my dad meant, and why he kept his opinions about such a controversial issue to himself. Every time I’ve gotten on Social Media over the last couple of weeks there is a cacophony of voices shouting at… I don’t know who… “everyone else” I guess… about all that’s going on, telling anyone and everyone who disagrees that they are horrible people. There’s so much black-or-white-right-or-wrong-all-or-nothing thinking going on!! And no one is actually listening to anyone else.

There is a sound that changes things
The sound of His people on their knees
Oh wake up you slumbering
It's time to worship Him

Here’s the thing, Brothers and Sisters in Jesus: We aren’t going to change things with posts on Facebook, tweets on twitter, or stories on instagram that just shout out our opinions and shout down anyone who disagrees with us. We’re just not. We might get some cool positive strokes from “friends” with the same political bent, or who hold the same opinions we do, but we aren’t going to change anyone else’s mind. And are we really advancing the Kingdom of God when we do this? I don’t think so. Posting a black square for a day, or making some symbol of something our profile picture, may make us feel good for a moment, but it does little to change the world or advance God’s Kingdom.

UNLESS that symbol, that black square, drives us to stop posting, close our computers, get on our knees and pray and worship Jesus.

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praises loud
Sing His praises loud

Before you go off on me that right now we need action, not prayer (or maybe action with prayer) let me remind you of a couple of the many times prayer and praise accomplished more than any human action could.

In Acts 16 we see that our God delivers individuals who choose to pray and worship Him – while also benefitting all those around them! Paul and Silas were in prison for freeing a woman from a evil spirit. That spirit was profiting a particular man greatly and he was really pissed about losing that profit. So that man had them put in prison.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.”

Acts 16:25 – 26

Did you catch that last part? Not just the good guys were freed by God; everyone, even all the criminals in the jail, were freed! Because two men chose to pray and worship.

And in 2 Chronicles 20, we see our God delivers an entire nation (Judah) from a horde of enemies because they chose to praise Him – and not one of them raised a weapon in their own defense.

“The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.”

2 Chronicles 20:22 – 23

All these nations had conspired together to take Judah down, and it scared the crap out of the King, Jehoshaphat! His fear drove him to his knees in prayer. Not only that, but he called all of Judah to pray and fast…and they did. And. God. Moved. On their behalf.

There are so many other examples throughout Scripture of God moving, powerfully, mightily, in huge ways and in small ways that make mighty differences in the world! I challenge you to find more and post them in the comments. Let’s encourage each other with how powerful and good and righteous and holy is our God!

And when He moves
And when we pray
Where stood a wall now stands a way
Where every promise is amen

Do you know why these things happened? Because God saw the faith of His people. Where we see His people praying, worshipping, crying out to Him, God sees faith.

Now, not everyone believed He would move – but they most believed He could. And I’ve discovered – at least in my own life – that that is enough for God. When He sees my faith that He can, even when I admit I don’t know if He will, He moves and shows me He will. And, man, that increases my faith! It’s helps my unbelief! Sometimes I don’t even have to believe He can. I just cry out; and He hears faith in that cry. Isn’t that amazing!

Seriously, y’all! Our God is incredible! Marvelous! Awe-inspiring!

When God’s people pray and worship Him, when we admit who we are and focus on who He is — holy, righteous, just, merciful, loving, gracious, patient, slow to anger, all-powerful, all-knowing, always present– when we focus on Him, He does miraculous things!

And when He moves
Make no mistake
The bowels of hell begin to shake
All hail the Lord all hail the King 

Sometimes He tells us to just watch Him work. Wouldn’t that be amazing to see Him work in our country right now!! And sometimes He lets us be a part of the miracle. He sometimes even calls us to be a part of it, pressing in on us and giving us words to speak and actions to take. Oftentimes those are very scary and demand a great deal from us personally. They aren’t what’s popular or cool; they aren’t what the rest of the world is saying or doing — or perhaps it requires us to change, to allow His love to permeate us and transform us rather than someone else. Whatever it is, His call to action is never easy. It requires faith. It requires prayer and praise. Lots of prayer and praise.

I know. I’ve had the great privilege of being called out by God, and man, it’s scary! And it’s hard! But you know what? That’s also when it get’s so exciting because it’s GOD-initiated rather than self-initiated. And God will see it through! As one of my pastors, Dave Buehring, says, “What God initiates, He permeates. What we initiate, we have to sustain.”

When we let God determine our words, our posts, our tweets, our instas, and our actions, He permeates them with His power and causes them to do all He plans for them to do. But we can’t know what those words and actions are if we don’t first go to our knees in prayer and praise.

It is the sound that changes things: us getting on our knees, praying and praising God. I know it’s hard to do right now. So many people shouting and pulling our attention away from God and to a myriad of issues – some very valid, some completely made up – that seem to demand all our time right now.

But right now is the precise time we need to fall on our knees and pray. We need to humble ourselves before our God, let Him search our hearts and show us where we have missed the mark. We need to know what our God thinks of all of this. We need to know what He wants us to do; what He needs us to do. That may mean we remain silent on some things. It may also mean we have to say and/or do hard things that go against the world’s opinions.

And right now is also the precise time we need to fall on our knees in praise to praise the God of the Universe, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the only God who can restore us to sanity! And He will, if we but ask Him. But it’s not going to be an easy, pain-free path. For anyone.

Sing His praises loud, y’all! It is the sound that changes things.

Oh let the King of glory enter in!
Fall down on your knees and worship Him!
Let His praise rise up don't hold it in!

Awake My Soul by Brooke Ligertwood – Hillsong Worship

 God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
   his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
   How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
   He's all I've got left.

 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
   to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
   quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
   to stick it out through the hard times. Lamentations 3:19-27

Last night I went to "Before The Throne" at my church. It was an extended time of worship preceded by a brief teaching. The focus this week was Worship as an Act of Faith. That is, worshiping God for what He is going to do, not just what He has done.

I don't do that so good. I'm great at worshiping Him for who He is and what He's done, but what He's yet to do….? Not so much. Mainly because, in all honesty, I don't really trust that He will do it. So I take the cowardly way out and wait till He does.

Last night, though, I made a decision. A choice. I choose to believe the promises He's given me. I choose to believe for the dreams and hopes and desires He's placed in my heart. Though it take my lifetime, I will worship Him for what He will do. Until He comes through for me or until He tells me to stop, I will worship Him for what He will do.

As we were singing and focusing on God, He gave me this image; put this image in my mind. It was of Him taking out my heart and replacing it with a fresh one — a new, vibrant, strong bright red one. And then He breathed into me, not just over me or on me, but into me. Like CPR. New heart for new breath — or new breath for new heart — like new a wineskin for new wine.

I saw so clearly in that moment that, now, every breath I breathe is from Him. They all come from that one breath He breathed into and over me.

He held me tight in His arms for a while, like a mother holds her crying, hurting toddler. Like my mom always held me when I was crying and hurting. And as if to really drive His love-point home, the band then led us in singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," one of my mom's favorite hymns. I couldn't even sing; just stood there and wept. This time not out of missing my mom, though. This time I cried because I felt His love so profoundly – and my mom's love so clearly too. It was as if my mom was standing there holding me tight, caressing me the way she would and whispering that it's all going to be okay. Only I knew it wasn't my mom. It was God.

Then He looked me in the eyes and made it clear to me that I don't stop Him from doing anything He wants to do (I so often fear I've thwarted God's will or desires because of my own failings). He made it so very powerfully clear that I cannot stop Him, thwart Him, or keep His love or His will from invading my life and accomplishing His dreams for me (Romans 8 has been one of His constant words to me the last couple of weeks).

I believe God promises healing, recovery, wholeness. I also believe that God has a job where I can be of service and blessing to someone. But so often that belief gets buried under an avalanche of fear and doubt, worry and waffling. Perhaps the promises don't apply to me… perhaps there's some mark I've got to hit first and maybe I didn't jump high enough, believe hard enough, pray long enough, do enough. I waffle. I doubt. I fear that I'm not good enough.

But last night… I was never more convinced of His promises and His desires, to the core of my being, than I was last night, standing in the Barn before God's Throne, singing and crying out to Him.

One of the worship singers talked about fear; about how God may have us out on a ledge, feet half off hanging out into the air, and the fear we feel when we stare out into that nothingness. Lord do I know that fear! Absolute terror is what I've felt for months now –nearly half a year!

But this worship singer-leader said to us, "whatever it is He's asking you to do, where ever it is He's got you dangling your feet and staring out into the depths. Just step into it. Step off the ledge and into His will, into His arms, into the dark. Just step off."

So this is me stepping off the ledge, into the unknown, into His arms. Believing God for healing and wholeness. Believing God for recovery and redemption of all my crap. Believing God for a job, a place of service with my name on it. And worshiping Him for what He is going to do.

Sometimes we forget to acknowledge the unbelievable, powerful, passionate, unfailing love of God. In all our crazy worshiping and joy; in all our crying out in our pain and need; in all our silent contemplation, and all our noisy jubilation. I think sometimes we just plain forget how He loves us. We get lost in our own struggles, in the daily grind of every day life, in our plans and schemes for tomorrow, in all our hurts, needs, wants, passions…. we just… forget.

I hope this reminds you today how much He loves you. Let yourself be swept away by it today; let Him drench you with His love. Oh, how He loves us!

[note rss readers: embedded video]

So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us!
Oh how He loves us!
Oh how He loves us!
Oh how He loves!

Words and Music by John Mark McMillan

Thank you, Los. What an awesome song to introduce me to.

To Him who reigns upon the throne and to the Lamb
To the true and faithful King, who created everything
To the glorious Son of God and Son of Man
Who gave His body and His blood
To take away the sins of all the world

All creation bows
Before Him now

All glory and honor and praise
Jesus, You are worthy
Jesus, You are worthy
All power and wisdom and strength
Jesus, all the glory belongs to Your name
So we worship You forever! Amen.

All Glory written by David Regier, performed by the Women of Faith Worship Team on their album "Amazing Freedom"

I’ve posted the lyrics to "I Will Show You Love" here for your spirit’s edification. Read. This is God’s love letter to you.

I will show you love like you’ve never loved before
I will go the distance and back for more if you just say the word

You will come alive again and call the trying times your friend
The pain that you have suffered through will never get the best of you
You will hope in something real that won’t depend on how you feel
When you call my name then I will answer, answer

I am on your side though the wind and waves beat against your faith
You were on my mind when the world was made
Trust in me my child, Trust in me my child

Walk out on the water where you have no control
So scared to death of failure you sacrifice your soul, please let that go

You have climbed an uphill road, You have worn a heavy load
You have cried through endless nights and nearly given up the fight
Watched your dreams like falling stars the heartaches made you who you are
Now looking back you see that I have always been there

I am on your side though the wind and waves beat against your faith
You were on my mind when the world was made
Trust in me my child, Trust in me my child

Where you gonna hide? Where you gonna hide from Me?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go that I can’t see?

I have heard you cry and it breaks my heart for I love you so
I would never lie, this is not the end there is still a hope

I am on your side though the wind and waves beat against your faith
You were on my mind when the world was made
Trust in me my child, Trust in me my child

Words and Music by Kendall Payne
Song available on iTunes

UPDATE: If this song really touched your heart, please visit Kendall Payne’s website and let her know by signing her guestbook. Also, all the lyrics to all her songs from this album (Paper Skin) can be found on her website as well.

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take him at his word;
Just to rest upon his promise,
Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!

Words and Music by Louisa Stead

This song has been in my head for days, so I thought I’d put the lyrics up so it could be in yours too (aren’t I sweet!).

This was one of my mom’s favorite hymns. I remember many nights as a child hearing her play it on the piano after I’d gone to bed. She used to say her piano "practice" time — after us kids were in bed and her chores were done for the evening — was her worship time; her private time to worship God with her fingers, with her mind (as she sung the lyrics in her head, or out loud) and with her spirit. I fell asleep many nights to mom’s piano worship, as she played her way through hymns and Bill Gaither songs. I can’t think of a better way to slip into restful sleep. Perhaps that’s why as an adult I so often use music to help me sleep; especially when I’m stressed.

Tonight I’m listening to Casting Crowns sing this old hymn. I’m remembering my mom. But I’m also thinking about my own life. And how God has proved Himself faithful over and over; proved Himself completely, utterly and unconditionally trustworthy. Yet I still struggle to trust Him with pieces of my heart and life. I pray for grace to trust Him more.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. — Psalm 91:1-4

Today was lousy. I was in a foul mood from dawn till dusk and only when I was able to be a couch potato for a few hours did I begin to feel a little more human and less trollish.

Anger, frustration and hurt from yesterday bled into today; perhaps because I went to sleep with the things I was angry about still on my mind. God has a habit of talking to me after the lights go out, probably because I don’t always give Him a chance to be heard any other time. Anyway, last night was no different and I fell asleep while we were still hashing out the frustrations of the day. I woke up this morning tired and cranky and in no mood for— well, anything, really. Except maybe another five hours of sleep.

There are not enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to get done. Homework, work, personal issues that need attention, house cleaning for my out-of-town guests coming next week, attending to friends, church Community Group, women’s accountability group, homework-homework-and more homework….rinse and repeat. I think last night’s events threw me over the edge of that H.A.L.T. dealie (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) and I just lost it today.

All day.

I was such a bitch to be around and I knew it. I just couldn’t seem to do anything about it — except stay hidden in my cube as much as possible to minimize the damage to others.

I’m so tired exhausted. My life feels frustratingly… frayed. And fraying. I need rest.

But how do you rest when all your "stuff" stands up and smacks you in the face at the very time you’re trying to fall asleep?

Tonight I took the night off from everything and just spent some time with Jesus. I didn’t do any big study. Nor did I read the books that will facilitate my healing and recovery. Rather I just sat here and listened to specific music that always draws me to Jesus’ feet, read a bit from His Word and spent the evening staring into His eyes.

I came across Psalm 91 and saw what I think is the solution to my need: I will curl up in the shadow of the Almighty and find refuge under His wing. His Word declares I will find the rest I so desperately need there. So I’m gonna take Him at His Word.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. — Psalm 62:5-6

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." — Jesus

Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this? — Isaiah 53, The message

This week I’ve been listening to Beth Moore’s study, "Breaking Free" on my way to and from work. I just really need to revisit the study and remind myself of the truths within, so I’ve been listening to my cds of it. One morning Beth pointed out that before we can get to Isaiah 61 — the theme for the study — Isaiah 53 has to happen. 61 just isn’t possible otherwise. Jesus has to go through
the pain, the scorn, the torture and death — and resurrection — before we can have freedom,
healing, and beauty in exchange for our chains, puss-filled wounds, and ashes. I’ve somewhat camped in Isaiah 53 the rest of this week. Listen to this:

The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew
pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down
on him, thought he was scum.

Jesus was completely unattractive, even looked down upon by people. For some reason I’d forgotten about that. What an amazing thing this is. Jesus can truly identify with all of us who’ve felt… ugly, for lack of a better word; those of us who know we don’t measure up to the high standard of beauty in our culture (or perhaps any culture) because He himself was considered unattractive, even ugly by society. He is truly a Redeemer for all us little guys!

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.

I just want to wrap myself up in this and stay here the rest of my life. All the the things wrong with me, all of them, Jesus carried to the cross, on the the cross, and then  left them there. I know I’ve made this point before, recently even, but every time I come up against it these days I can’t help but sit in stunned silent awe. How can this be?? Everything in my life, everything is covered and redeemable. Do you really get the significance of that?

Listen, there are secret sins we all carry — bury; you have done this, I most certainly have; we all do this, or have done it at some point. We bury this one (or several) sin in the the deepest crevasse we can find in our heart and pretend it doesn’t exist, no matter how many times it revisits us or we revisit it, because it is just too awful; we cannot believe God will forgive us for it. Haven’t you ever wondered how Ted Haggard survived his double life, or Larry Craig either? They hid it from even themselves, down in that deep crevasse. Yet Jesus is Redeemer of even that. Even those dark, "horrible" secret sins we do not even dream of talking about nonetheless confessing, even those are covered by His blood. Forgiven. Gone. Over. Forever! When we truly grasp that reality, we start finding freedom; real honest to God freedom.

We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.

Isn’t this good! Isn’t this amazing!

He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence.

Little rabbit chasing here… This is odd to me now that I’ve heard lambs/sheep/goats being carried off to be slaughtered. They don’t go quietly. They make a whole lotta noise (it often sounds like babies or children crying, if you want to know the truth; pitiful and disturbing, really) and a whole lotta fuss. You have to hold them by their legs and carry them across your shoulders. Otherwise they’ll do their best to skitter off. —- It’s just an odd analogy to me now, to compare Jesus to a noisy lamb, bound and held, being carried off to its death. Especially since it says "he took it all in silence." Can anyone explain this part?

Justice miscarried, and he was led off— and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, even though he’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true.

Still, it’s what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

Out of that terrible travail of soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly— the best of everything, the highest honors— because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep.  —- Isaiah 53, The Message

He took up the cause of all the back sheep. That’s me! I’m am so a black sheep. Oh, thank God I have such a champion!

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.  — Isaiah 61:1-4

The ugly girl with nothing but ashes for a life gets the ultimate beauty pageant crown. Now that’s a real Hollywood ending.

Then [Jesus] rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat
down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." — Luke 4:20-21

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! — 2 Cor 9:15

I once heard that songs play in our head for a reason; perhaps God is speaking to us through the song, or our spirit it speaking to God. Maybe the Holy Spirit is even mediating a conversation happening on a purely spiritual level that we cannot hear, and the only way for us to know about it is through the songs that come unbidden into our minds and invade our every waking moment.

The video below is a little corny, so maybe just listen to the song and let it invade your heart and mind.

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Chorus:
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

Verse 2:
God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Chorus:
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

I’m working on post regarding this specific prayer that I’ve prayed to this song, and how it impacted my own life. But today I want to follow Micah Fries’ idea of just starting off the weekend in worship. So if you’ve got a few moments, pull out the cd (if you’ve got it) and spend a little time soaking in the drenching rain of God. He is indeed so good.

Let it rain, let it rain
Open the floodgates of heaven

Let it rain, let it rain!
Open the floodgates of heaven!

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.

Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne

Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side

His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory! — Psalm 97:1-6