God is distinct from every other entity in the universe, from angels to humans and from stars to planets. Everything else in the universe, be it a living, breathing person or an inanimate mountain, was created.

Only God is uncreated. Only God always existed. Only God, in His very essence, possesses immortality.

Every other being and entity is limited in its power, presence, or knowledge. Only God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

Every other being and entity is dependent and constrained. Only God is completely independent and completely unconstrained.

Only God is God.

This is crucial to remember during times of uncertainty and upheaval when it feels as if things are rapidly spiraling out of control.

An Age-Old Question

Is there no order, no purpose, no guiding hand? Will the forces of chaos and anarchy triumph?

Is everything in life subject to chance? Is nothing certain or guaranteed?

Is there no justice, no oversight, no accountability? Is nothing ever set right?

This is when we call to mind the words of Psalm 74. It was written against the backdrop of the sacking of the holy city, Jerusalem, and the destruction of God’s house, the holy Temple. How was it possible that idol-worshiping armies overcame the people of the Lord? How was it possible that those uncircumcised heathens carried away the sacred items of His house?

Worse still, it seemed as if God had gone silent in the midst of the carnage and destruction:

They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. (Psalm 74:7–9)

How long, the psalmist asked, will this go on? How long, O Lord, until you act?

Then, he remembered. Only God is God.

Proven Time and Again

He who defeated the powers of chaos before creation and rules over all of nature will rise up for Israel:

But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth. It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert. (Psalm 74:12–14)

This refers to Yahweh’s primeval victory over the chaos monsters, the cosmic forces of darkness. It became manifest in the natural realm by His bringing order to the physical world: “It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.” (Psalm 74:15)

And on a daily basis, as surely as the sun rises and sets, as surely as the seasons come and go, God rules as King over the earth. And as surely as the oceans and seas and rivers have unseen, divinely enforced boundaries, we witness the power of His rule: “The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.” (Psalm 74:16-17)

He Reigns Forever

Based on these realities, the psalmist prays for divine intervention, for God to stretch forth His hand and act: “Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.” (Psalm 74:22–23)

The fact that today we are reading the words written by an Israelite 2,500 years ago when all seemed lost is proof that Israel’s God took action.

Only God is God, and in the midst of the world’s madness, He continues to carry out His plan.

Only God is God, and all the other so-called gods, the human and demonic powers that exalt themselves in their folly, are like a vapor, like a breath, here for a moment of time and then gone forever.

The greatest nations on the earth are but a drop in the bucket.

The most powerful armies with all their weaponry can’t lay a finger on the King.

The most massive, influential movements barely register a blip in the light of eternity.

Totally Trustworthy

When Israel felt abandoned, saying, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God,” their King had a ready answer: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” (Isaiah 40:27–28)

In Him we put our trust, regardless of what nations say and do, regardless of the outcomes of elections, regardless of weather patterns, regardless of what any human being says or does, regardless of the circumstances of life.

Only God is God, and if we take refuge in Him, we will never be moved. He alone deserves our worship, our trust, and our adoration.

In the midst of the madness, step back, and give Him glory. It will do your soul well.

Only God is God.

Dr. Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. He is the author of more than 40 books, including Can You be Gay and Christian?; Our Hands Are Stained With Blood; and Seize the Moment: How to Fuel the Fires of Revival. You can connect with him on Facebook, X, or YouTube.