No Surprise

As I am sitting here this morning, trying to get focused, I hear a bunch of sirens.  A bunch!  I wondered what was going on, whose life was about to be changed, and how many people were frantically going to be calling on God to help in this time of need.  I started to offer up my own prayers for this unknown potential catastrophe when the following thoughts went through my mind.  Bear with me as I ponder through them, will you?

I imagined the scene in heaven.  God on His throne; Jesus at His right hand.  Then I pictured something similar to a board meeting, with the angels gathered around the table, taking notes, and volunteering for assignments as the day’s agenda was read.

Okay, folks, today is going to be another busy one.  A tornado is going to hit the midwest around daybreak.  Homes and lives will be lost, and many people will be out of work for a while because the plants will be temporarily shut down as repairs will be needed to be made.  I’m going to need some comforters to go out and ease the minds of My children.  Who wants this one?

Several angels raise their winged hands and are making notes on how to best offer their touch of solace to these souls who will be feeling bereft.

Also, today will be another one that brings grief to many wives who will unexpectedly lose their husbands today.  While it breaks My heart to see this temporary separation, I need some of you to go out and remind these kids of Mine that I am here, that comfort will be found, and that My strength will carry them through.  Ahh, thank you, angels, for your service.  I see that you are just the right ones to accomplish this task.

Next, today is My day.  Many of My children will be entering into worship centers all over the land.  Voices will be raised in praise to Me.  Lessons will be taught to My little lambs and sermons will be preached to encourage those on the fence posts to make the decision to follow Me.  I need a few of you to be nudgers today:  to gently guide the ones who will need just a little extra prodding to come to the altar or to make the private decision to accept My Son as their Saviour.  Great!  I see your willingness and I appreciate you!

The prayers are already pouring in from My children.  I love when they call on Me!  

As always though, the devil is sneaking around, stalking My people, seeking whom he can devour.  He’s extra tricky these days and I need My saints to be on guard as never before.  Satan is trying to defeat them through sickness, through financial difficulties, and through the destruction of the family as many of their children will be rebelling against them today, cutting off ties with them, and some will even be deliberately spiteful as they make the choice to break their parents’ hearts.  Sigh.  This troubles Me but I know that there is a purpose for this.  What I need you to do, Angels, is to place some reminders in My loved ones’ paths to show them that We’ve got this and that while it seems hopeless, it isn’t.  Show them My Word.  Use those songs sung of Me to echo in their minds.  Use My saints to encourage them.  Guide them to Me and not to the bottle, to the drugs, or to the other vices they might think alleviate their pains.  

I’m sure the meeting goes on as more and more events will be discussed and as angels will soon be sent to take care of the oh-so-many needs.  The thing you and I must remember is this:  none of this takes God by surprise.  The diagnoses of cancer and other diseases, the car wrecks, the house fires, death, the accidents from playing, the breaking up of families, the self-mutilation, the wars...All of these things are under God’s constant watch and while we are often jolted by the unexpected, He isn’t.  Although it’s often hard to not get excited, to wring our hands, to beg others to pray immediately for our trials, and to believe these emergencies need God’s instant attention, He already knows.  He already sees.  He’s got His angels on standby, ready to attend to the needs we have, and as if all of this isn’t enough, His very Son Jesus is right beside of Him, praying on our behalfs, asking His Father to intercede when our prayers aren’t able to be uttered because our standing with God just might not be as wonderful as it should be.

Relax friends.  Trust.  Submit to God and resist the devil.  Be still and know:  know that He is God and that nothing--NOTHING--escapes His careful eye.  When you are tried, may you be found faithful today is my prayer.  When you are tested, may the strength from Christ fill you with the power to stand.  And when all you can do is stand?  Remember to not lose heart and that:  

“...we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:7-18 ESV.

Let’s pray.

Dear Father, I know it’s easy to tell others to trust when my life is not the one being hammered against.  I know it’s hard for people to not feel as if these hardships are something new and have never been experienced before and thus require Your immediate attention.  I know You and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not caught off-guard by anything that takes place and I thank You for this.  I thank You for already having these things mapped out, for already having the situation under control--even though we feel like chaos is all around and that divine intervention is needed.  

You are needed, Lord God.  You are the One to Whom we pray and cry out to and trust in.  You are the One we believe and hope in.  You are the Comforter and the Lover of our souls.  Oh that we would fix our eyes on You and place our selves completely in Your hands!  Father, we are weak but Christ in us is strong.  Help us, Sweet Lord, to rely on You and not man, not self, and not temporary fixes that only break us more.

May You be high and lifted up today.  May Your name be on more people’s lips in praise and prayer.  May You be worshiped today and every day is my hope, Lord.  In the precious name above all others, Jesus Christ, I pray.  Amen.