Why do the nations rage? And who are they "raging" against?

As we embark on 2012, the question that needs to be asked is: "Why do the nations rage?" What nations you ask? And who are they "raging" against?

I'm referring to Psalm 2:1-3 (GW) 

¹ Why do the nations gather together? Why do their people devise useless plots?
² Kings take their stands. Rulers make plans together against the LORD and against his Messiah by saying,
³ “Let's break apart their chains and shake off their ropes.”

In 2012, we face greater turmoil and instability in our world than at any time in recent memory:

• Iran launched two long-range missiles this week and in recent days has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz through which 40 percent of the world's oil is shipped. All reports indicate that within a year, probably this year, Iraq will have a nuclear weapon. I wonder what they'll do with that? Watch for Israel to bomb Iran this year which will probably create a major Middle East conflict which will no doubt draw the 

U.S.into its web. Also, watch for oil prices to skyrocket as we are punished" for siding with Israel in this conflict.

• North Korea: New leader and everything is up for grabs as far as whether North Korea will keep a low profile in utter darkness or if they will make some noise and do some saber-rattling, something they do every time they need some $$$ from the U.S. and S. Korea.
• Egypt: The Arab Spring is now a cold winter with the Muslim Brotherhood pushing its way to fill the power vacuum. This means greater instability in the region and increased fears and concern for Israel.
• Syria, Libya, Iraq, Pakistan and Russia all present potential problems as they jockey for power and align against Israel and the U.S.

Who are these nations "raging" against? They are raging against the Lord--against God Almighty. They are raging against His authority and sovereignty. They are aligned against God's Anointed who is Jesus, the Messiah. They are also aligned against Israel, the apple of God's eye.

Psalm 33:8-11 reminds us that God is in control of the nations:

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!
For He spoke, and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.

What God says will certainly come to pass. Psalm 2:4 says that God sits in heaven and laughs at the nations and holds them in derision. The prophet Isaiah said that "All the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are accounted as the dust on the scales."

So here is the take away from all this: The Good News is that even when our State Department is "clueless" (which is so often the case), our God is not. He has determined the boundaries for every nation and knows how long each leader will be in command, and how long each nation will survive. There is no decision made by any nation that catches God by surprise.

Just as God told Moses what Pharaoh would do and that he would let the children of Israel go, as well as telling him beforehand that the Egyptian people would want to heap all their possessions upon the Israelites as they were leaving Egypt. God knows exactly which nations invent, produce and develop.

He knows all about the monetary crisis in Europe and knows exactly how it will pan out. He regulates uprisings and revolutions. Yes, God is sovereign over every nation and people group on this planet, as well as over the climate. He is not worried about global warming and knows that we can't destroy this planet by our own efforts. As the Apostle Paul declared in Acts 17:24, He is "Lord of heaven and earth."

So regardless of what happens this year, know this: God is in control. Nothing is going to catch Him by surprise. He is accomplishing His will and good pleasure in nations and people, in you and me.