Where Did You Find God Today?

I love the nuances of the English language, especially homonyms, which are words that sound similar but are spelled differently.

Today I notices REIN and REIGN.

Reins are used to train a horse. With the bits in its mouth, the rains tug on him, telling him which way his master wants him to turn, stop or run. It is control by force.  When someone is out of control, we say they must be reined in.  I have heard that a g horse that is forcefully reined in too much develops a callus on the corners of its mouth to protect itself from the bit. After a while, it’s body puts up a natural defense against the reins.

A reign is a ruling over someone. In human history, there have been good reigns and bad reigns. The bad ones acted more like reins, trying to force their agenda on the people with harsh consequences for disobedience.

What did the good reigns have? They emphasized the “g”- good, which comes from God. They reigned out of love, not pride. When authorities honor God and emphasize the “g” in reign, the people prosper, humanity is dignified, and justice rules.

There’s only one person who truly reigns – God.  One day, every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11), but until then, we must each choose to be reined in by the agenda of the world, or let Christ reign in our hearts.

I don’t know about you, but I want the “g” in my life. It makes all the difference in this world.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”  1Chronicles 16:31