Imagine if Zeus was real. Imagine if God was a fickle, petty, abusive tyrant, whose whims and tantrums frequently wreaked havoc on the world below. What a horrible existence that would be. Imagine if that creepy little boy in that one Twilight Zone episode was God. Remember that one? The one with the boy who could read everyone’s thoughts so you had to keep thinking nice things or he’d turn you into a monster or transform you into a jack-in-the-box, etc? Imagine if God—who can read thoughts—was a little tyrant who kept everyone in a perpetual state of terror.

That’s not reality, though. God is real, but God is not a tyrant, nor is He is a fickle monster of a being. God is a King and He reigns as a King, but never in His reign has He ever given His subjects a reason to wish someone else was ruling over them…

The king’s strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. 

(Psalm 99:4-5)

God is a King who reigns over the world. He is a King who judges His people, but though there will never be another King bigger or stronger than He is, and though He can never be removed from power by usurpers, He is not a malevolent dictator. He is a benevolent ruler. The text above spells it out for us: God loves judgment (“justice”). He favors doing what is right and fair (“equity”). He renders verdicts (“executes judgment”) that are full of righteousness. The only people who might ever wish to remove God from power are people who oppose what is right, fair, and good. And because He is good, fair, righteous, and true, He is worthy of our worship.

Listen, even if God wasn’t good or fair, He could still insist we worship Him and still punish us if we didn’t. We should be very thankful that we serve a God who gives us every good reason to be thankful for Him! Exalt Him. Worship at His footstool. Why? Because He is holy, and if He wasn’t you’d wish He was. He could be like the vain and abusive pagan gods of Greece or Rome. They were rapists, thugs, and schemers. God is not like those. God is good.

Be thankful, and serve Him with love, because He loves you.

~Matthew