Hello God – Are You Out There?
Is God losing control of things? We are living in times that can make you go “hmmm…”. Times that can leave you guessing where the parents are in some communities, countries, and nations. Times where boundaries are continually tested and in some cases even torn down. Now, in some cases, this is not a bad thing. As one whose parents grew up during the civil rights era, I know there are times when the rules at hand need to be revised and the only way to do it is to question the applicability and rationale in place when they were created. Using the litmus test of the Bible on how we should love and live together that was a no-brainer but some days I look around me and wonder – what is going on?!
I was recently involved in a discussion with friends and we began to talk about ‘wars and rumors of wars’ similar to the scripture Matthew 24:6. What I found interesting was the somewhat casual talk about ‘if we are involved in a nuclear war this is what I would do’. Huh? Thankfully, I have not been involved with this in my lifetime but my thoughts drifted to wondering who would even be around to tell their survival story if it did happen? The discussion was almost as casual as running out of milk and needing to go to the store to replace it after the impending hurricane has passed – get my point? These topics can make you anxious and scare you. My pre-teen daughter even stated to me after a recent newscast “I want to live to be an adult so I hope we don’t have a nuclear war”. Believe me, this led to a long discussion about faith and tomorrow not being promised but ugh…not a great topic to have with my beloved child.
The Sovereignty of God
This brings me to what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, 2 Chronicles 20:6 –
6 …“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
It reminds me that God is fully aware and in control of all things that happen around us. God ‘rules over kingdoms [physical and spiritual] and nations’. This scripture lets us all know that even the most unpleasant things in this world can lay the groundwork for His glorious plan. Yes, evil exists – and because of the free will God has given us, not everyone is going to do righteous things – but God is still in control and has not abdicated His authority. God is sovereign. Some things may be difficult to watch or experience and some things are unto death – this is sad but true. God is still God and He implores those of us that are still standing to love our way through and to seek His love and guidance. That is what I told my daughter. Yes, it can be a bit scary but if you know Jesus, there is nothing to be anxious about (Philippians 4:6). Since we have the Bible (and the New Testament) we know how this story ultimately ends.
So when those scary thoughts creep in or the events around us make no sense at all – Live your life and love!
Thank you, Lord, that You Are God – Alone!
