✦ WHEN THE HEATHEN RAGE
PERSONAL SPIRITUAL REFLECTION FROM PSALM 2
Text: Psalm 2:1–3
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His anointed…”
INTRODUCTION
There are passages of Scripture that do not just inform my spirit—they interpret my life.
Psalm 2 is one of them.
Every time I meditate on it, I see reflections of experiences I have walked through both as a clergy and as one called into leadership.
Two powerful truths stand out to me from this Psalm:
- The rage of the heathen
- The vain imaginations of the enemy
These two realities have shaped my understanding of spiritual battles, political opposition, and the adversity that rises against a person who carries divine assignment.
THE REALITY OF THE HEATHEN’S RAGE
The “heathen” in Psalm 2 are not just unbelievers—they represent every force, system, or personality that opposes the agenda of God.
Their rage is triggered by purpose, not by faults.
In my journey, I have encountered:
- betrayal,
- character assassination,
- false narratives,
- unfounded hatred,
- attempts to break my resolve,
- and battles I never provoked.
Some of these attacks came even in seasons when I was not contesting for any political office.
This used to confuse me—until light dawned on me that the hatred of the world is not based on personal actions but on spiritual identity.
Jesus said:
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own…”
(John 15:19)
As long as I am not of the world, the world naturally reacts.
THE EMPTINESS O
F THEIR VAIN IMAGINATIONS
Psalm 2 does not stop at rage; it exposes the emptiness of the enemy’s plots:
“…and the people imagine a vain thing.”
I have seen vain imaginations firsthand—plans, lies, orchestrations, and manipulations designed to destroy reputation or hinder divine purpose.
I have watched adversaries deploy deceitful tools, twisting narratives, just as it happened to a pastor I know who contested for governor in his state.
The tools of deception they used caused him to lose the election twice.
Yet the Scriptures remain true:
“There is no counsel nor wisdom against the LORD.”
(Proverbs 21:30)
“They shall surely gather, but not by Me… whoever gathers against thee shall fall for thy sake.”
(Isaiah 54:15)
No matter how sophisticated the imagination of the enemy is, it is still vain—empty, temporary, and destined to collapse.
GOD’S RESPONSE: HE SITS AND LAUGHS
One of the most encouraging verses in the entire Bible follows immediately:
“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh…”
(Psalm 2:4)
This is the part that gives me unshakeable confidence.
While men plot and whisper in rooms of conspiracy, God laughs.
While enemies take counsel together, God laughs.
While the heathen rage, God remains seated—never threatened, never worried, never intimidated.
If God is laughing, it means the battle is already settled.
THE PROPHETIC REALITIES I HOLD ONTO
Through this scripture and my personal experiences, I have come to embrace these divine truths:
1. No plot against the righteous can stand.
“Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought.”
(Isaiah 8:10)
2. Opposition is evidence of divine relevance.
Joseph’s battles were signs of his throne (Genesis 50:20).
3. The rage of darkness is proof of spiritual identity.
David only became known because Goliath raged (1 Samuel 17).
4. God decides the outcome before the battle begins.
“Declaring the end from the beginning…”
(Isaiah 46:10)
5. The wicked cannot cover the inheritance of the righteous.
“The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous…”
(Psalm 125:3)
A PERSONAL RESOLVE
Every betrayal, every lie, every attack, every conspiracy I have endured has only confirmed one thing:
I am not ordinary. I am part of God’s agenda.
I have watched the enemy try to break the cords of God’s purpose, just as Psalm 2 says:
“Let us break their bands asunder…”
But that agenda has failed and will keep failing, because the Lord Himself is my defense.
CONCLUSION: THE LAUGHTER OF GOD IS MY CONFIDENCE
The heathen may rage.
People may imagine vain things.
Rulers may take counsel together.
Systems may gather to resist divine purpose.
But the God who sits in the heavens is still laughing.
And as long as He is laughing, I cannot be stopped.
“For the LORD will not forsake His people.”
(Psalm 94:14)
“No man shall be able to stand before me all the days of my life.”
(Joshua 1:5)
“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard…”
(Isaiah 59:19)
This is my confidence.
This is my testimony.
This is my resolution.
P. Michael (Michael Abu) is a social activist, theologian, policy political/political analyst, and blogger from Edo State
