March 14, 2020
We are in a pivot of history. Decisions are being made and policies instituted. The future will take note of our responses now. I have two thoughts about this shift: we aren’t equipped and we are equipped. Let me explain.
We Aren’t Equipped for This
As society shifts and the infrastructure that we take for granted creaks and groans as we shudder to a halt, it is apparent that we are dependent on sophisticated food supply systems that are fragile. It may not be long before our character is stretched beyond what we have endured recently. We may find that we are short on patience and the Christian may find that their trust is less in God and more on the infrastructure of this world.
If that is the case, it is good to be exposed. The Lord will give us grace for the challenges. Which brings me to my next point: we are equipped for this.
We ARE Equipped for This
In every generation and era of history, sudden shifts or changes test humanity. The Christian throughout the ages has endured many different sorts of suffering and challenge. No one is sufficiently prepared. When I think about what has been come to be known as the Greatest Generation, I can see how The Great Depression prepared our nation for a mighty struggle. It would be simple, on one hand, to say that they were ready because of The Great Depression. I would point out that those who walk through The Great Depression had been immersed in a culture and economy of decadence in the decades prior. We could easily say that they were not prepared for the challenge that was ahead of them.
On Sunday, I will elaborate on some of the surprising examples of stellar leadership in Christian history. Tune in live online on our Facebook Page Sunday March 15 at 10am.
In other words, we must trust that God will give us grace for the challenges that surprise us. As Christians, our help comes from God and he will give us everything that we need to move through these challenges. Because the Holy Spirit lives and dwells in us, we have more wisdom, power and strength than we even know.
Corrie Ten Boom, who was eventually imprisoned because she hid Jews from the Nazis during WW2 writes:
I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious preparation for the work He will give us to do.
The Hiding Place
So, I encourage all of us to trust the Lord…Trust in the Lord. Do not bemoan our society or the apparent cringe-worthy nature or character of people. Rather, pray and trust. Sure, we are going to discover that in many ways we are weak and overly dependent on the systems of men. But, what a great privilege to allow God to be enough for us.
Read this and make it your prayer today:
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
Psalms 34:4-7 NIV