Who Moved Your God?
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. . ."
-A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
What an unusual season, these past days have been.
Election season in my country is over, and people are either happy or sad, depending on whether their candidate won or lost. There is ranting and raving, doomsday predictions contrasting with new day is dawning lines, waxing euphoric.
Good news can take you up high, bad news can plummet you low similar to a roller coaster.
At the same time, my family celebrates the "high" of a son getting married on a Saturday, another son and daughter-in-law having their first baby the next Monday, then came some overlapping sad news of close friends unexpectedly losing a sister, a brother, and a child.
3 deaths, 1 birth, 1 wedding, 1 elections. All in a row, just days apart.
I wish I could say that I am an even-tempered person, but unexpected news give me uncertain feelings as well. What happens when problems seem to overwhelm you? What questions are causing you to lose your peace?
"Why...did that happen?" "How...will they/we cope?" "Where...do we go from here?" "What...does the future hold?"
What Do We Do Now?
Its comforting to know that even people in the Bible asked these same questions.
2 Kings 6 reads:
15When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Oh, sir, what will we do now?" the young man cried to Elisha.
Elisha and his servant had just woken up. As they stepped through the door, they found themselves physically surrounded by enemy soldiers. Their situation seemed hopeless. Impossible to fix.
Here is Elisha's response to that situation:
16"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!"
What are you gazing at?
17Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
The servant's eyes were focused on the problems and the negatives on earth. Elisha's eyes saw the problems, yes, but he kept his spiritual eyes purposefully lifted and open to the power and might of God.
When we wake up in the morning, what is the first thing we see? The problems on earth, or divine interventions from heaven, ready to help us this day?
When question marks start bubbling up, God reminds us, "Remember the Who."
Who is in charge of heaven and earth? Who has heavenly armies at his disposal? Who holds the past, present, and future in His hands? Who is sovereign? Who is in control? Who gave His Life so you could live?
In short, "Who is your God?"
Most of us profess a certain degree of faith in a God. But if the power of the God we serve can be shaken or moved by election results or unexpected news, it only means that our view of God is too small.
What are the words that come out of our mouth? Disappointment mixed with fear or anger? Or do we view current events filtered by faith from a Sovereign hand?
If our expectations are more important than our God, then our expectations are becoming our god. No wonder our faith is easily dethroned.
Prayer:
Father, give us the steadfast faith of Elisha. To know that despite whatever shakes our world, Your power remains. You are Sovereign. We give you all our unanswered questions, knowing You and You alone, Jesus, are our way, Truth, and Life.
Open our eyes to see You in your power and might. May signs and wonders accompany the works of your hands.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
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