In the Midst of Chaos, God’s Plan Cannot Be Thwarted (Part 3 of the Chaos series)

 (This is actually part 3 of In the Midst of Chaos)

It’s not your imagination. The world really does feel like it’s unraveling. One glance at the headlines, a scroll through the news, or even just standing in line at the grocery store and overhearing folks talk—it all carries the same undertone: confusion, division, and a kind of spiritual fatigue that makes the soul ache. People are worn down. Morality is being rewritten, like a student scribbling on top of their own failing test paper, hoping no one will notice. Even Washington, D.C.—which was once lifted high as a beacon of democracy—now feels like a symbol of chaos, corruption, and contradiction. But this isn't new. It’s just that the curtain has been pulled back a little further, and we’re seeing the spiritual battle that's always been there, only now with a sharper edge.

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” That’s what Paul told the Corinthians, and it’s still true today (1 Corinthians 3:19). What the world parades as wisdom is often nothing but well-dressed folly. The powers-that-be conspire, the media plays its games, and everyday folks are left wondering what’s real and what’s just noise. But this isn’t just political. It’s deeply spiritual. What we’re witnessing isn’t just the breakdown of civil order—it’s the outward expression of an inward rebellion. This whole thing is Psalm 2 playing out in real time.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” the psalmist asks (Psalm 2:1). That Hebrew word for “heathen” is goyim—the nations, the gentiles, the people outside the covenant community of God. The word “rage” comes from hamon, suggesting a violent, turbulent roar like the ocean in a storm. It's the sound of rebellion, unrest, and sheer arrogance. The phrase “imagine a vain thing” isn’t about daydreams—it’s yagah, plotting useless things, conspiring in vain against the God who made them.

Sound familiar?

The kings of the earth—those in political power, cultural influence, and media control—have “set themselves” (yatsab, meaning to station oneself firmly), and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His mashiach—His Anointed, His Messiah. They say, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:2–3). These aren’t just metaphorical ropes. The “bands” (moseroth) and “cords” (aboth) speak of divine restraints, the moral and spiritual guidelines that God lovingly put in place to preserve order. But the world sees them as chains. They call God's wisdom “oppression,” and His law “limitation.”

You and I see it every day: good called evil, evil called good. Righteousness mocked. Wickedness celebrated. And the loudest voices belong to those shaking their fists at heaven, insisting that they know better.

But God isn’t wringing His hands. He’s not pacing the floors of heaven wondering how this is all going to turn out. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision” (Psalm 2:4). Now, this isn’t giggly laughter—it’s sachaq—a mocking, sovereign chuckle. It’s the same kind of derision a parent has when a toddler in diapers insists they’re running away from home with a peanut butter sandwich and one sock. God sees the rebellion of men and calls it what it is: vanity. Futility. Utter foolishness.

He speaks, and it shakes the heavens: “Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6). The rebellion of man does not alter the decree of God. He says, “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (Psalm 2:7). This speaks of Jesus—the monogenēs, the only begotten, the uniquely born Son, the Messiah of Israel and the hope of the nations. God isn’t just asserting His authority here; He’s unveiling His eternal plan. Christ is King. He always has been, and He always will be.

Even the inheritance is already spoken for. “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psalm 2:8). God’s Son isn’t just King of heaven; He’s King of everything. The borders of His reign stretch from one end of eternity to the other, and no rebellion will stand in His way. “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9). That rod isn't decorative—it’s shebet, the scepter of ruling authority. It’s strength, justice, and finality. When Christ comes again, He won’t be wearing a crown of thorns. He’ll have many crowns, and no man will stand before Him without bending the knee.

So what do we do while the world rages and tumbles headlong into its own destruction? “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:10–11). That’s our call too. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, not the fear of what’s happening in D.C., or Beijing, or any news feed. Reverence isn’t just for Sunday mornings. It’s a posture of heart in the middle of the storm. We are not helpless bystanders—we are ambassadors of a kingdom that cannot be moved (Hebrews 12:28).

And then the Psalm ends with the quiet but powerful line: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way… Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalm 2:12). The kiss isn’t romantic. It’s surrender. It’s allegiance. It’s the act of recognizing that Jesus Christ is not just a gentle teacher or a good shepherd—but the rightful ruler of every nation, every heart, every soul.

So we circle back to today’s world. All this chaos? It’s the smoke from the fires of rebellion. The politics, the headlines, the bitterness across kitchen tables and church aisles—that’s just the fruit of hearts that don’t want God to rule. The confusion is real, yes. The discouragement can be overwhelming. But God is not the author of confusion, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). This storm is not the end. It’s just the backdrop for something far more eternal.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities… against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). So don’t get tricked into thinking this is just about who’s sitting in the Oval Office or what bill passed last week. This is about the kingdom of God advancing against the kingdom of darkness. And even though the battle is fierce, it is already won.

God has not forsaken His people. “For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake” (1 Samuel 12:22). His covenant stands. His promises are yes and amen. And He has told us where to anchor our hope: not in the economy, not in politicians, not in social media posts that “get it right”—but in Jesus, the King already installed on Zion’s hill.

And what do we do with that hope? We live it. We stand in it. We proclaim it. We keep our lamps burning in a darkening world. We don’t back down from truth, even when it’s unpopular. We don’t surrender to fear, even when the future looks bleak. And we don’t stop praying, loving, or speaking the name of Jesus—because He is the only name that brings peace in the chaos.

This isn’t a call to hide from the world or pretend it’s not on fire. It’s a call to remember that while the nations rage and the earth shakes, we belong to a kingdom that’s built on a foundation that cannot be shaken. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). The cultural winds may shift, but the Rock remains unmoved.

Even now, as the potter shapes His vessel, as the Shepherd gathers His sheep, as the Lion prepares to roar—He is not done. We are not home yet, but we are not alone. We are lights in a darkened world, called not to retreat, but to reflect the glory of the King who is coming soon.

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). He didn’t say I might. He said I will. And that’s where our hope lives—not in speculation, but in certainty. Christ will reign. Every knee will bow. And until then, we press on—full of hope, full of truth, full of Christ.

image is chatgpt generated with my teaching as the description it used.