From Disarray, This.
The summer of 2016 has been one of upheaval. Racially-motivated killings, distrust in authority, the selective advancement of political agendas, and presidential primaries that seem to bring out the worst in everyone involved. It is a summer of uneasiness and in some cases, fear for many of us. We wonder where God is in all of this, and question why He is allowing our country to become such a mess.
We wonder if our country is under judgment because our government and our society seems to be working overtime to mock and forcibly remove all semblances of the Lord God from the lives of all Americans. We see leaders that claim the time for old and traditional values (read: traditional Christian values) is past, and that now is a time for new and innovative, inclusive standards.
In short, many of us, or at least I, feel like our country and our world is in disarray. We know that God is in control when life is good, but find it more difficult to rest in that assurance when events go south. I want to encourage you today that He is still in charge.
From a void, He created. He created the heavens and the Earth. From that earth, He created man. From man, He created woman. And from the two of them, He eventually created you and me. He was in control of things then, and is in control of them now. From disarray, this.
From the chaotic time right after September 11, 2001, He brought a country that had been divided along political lines together for a season of unity and cooperation. From disarray, this.
Imagine the feelings experienced by Jesus’ disciples when they saw him beaten and crucified. They’d seen Him walk on water, feed the masses with a few fish and loaves of bread. They’d seen him heal the sick and bring the dead back to life. You think they were in crisis? That they had doubts about what was happening? Absolutely. It took time, but eventually they saw what came from the chaos – He rose from the grave, just as He said he would. From disarray, this.
None of us knows what specifically lies ahead for our country, but God’s Word says:
“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.” – Romans 13:1*
Not much wiggle room in that statement is there? Pretty straightforward language, if you ask me. He who was in control in the beginning is still in control now, and will be forever.
This season will pass, and there will be consequences from it moving forward, both good and bad. How we react to this season will also carry consequences, will it not? Now, as in all seasons of life, we have a choice on how to react. Will we be peacemakers or dividers? Reactionaries or unifiers? Or will we just sit on the sidelines like a knot on a log and do nothing but judge?
The disarray we seem to be experiencing requires some type of response. Not because the Lord need us to do his job for Him, but because we need to become more like Him as we learn and grow during this time.
I would encourage us to spend a significant amount of time talking to, and more importantly listening to, the One that is in control. He will calm our fears and lead us if we are willing to be led. There is nothing beyond His control. He is God, after all.
“The Lord of Hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so it will be; as I have purposed it, so it will happen.” – Isaiah 14:24*
*Holman CSB version