Asleep in the storm

You never know what a day may bring.  Each day holds the seeds of joy or disaster.  Here is how our week has unfolded.

“Hey, why don't we celebrate our Presidents? What a great idea! Oh, and let's have it on a Monday. We'll close the schools, banks and post office. What a great idea! Today, on this President's day a single mom living two stories above us goes to work and leaves her girls at home alone. As luck would have it one of the girls had a great idea....let's make donuts! And so she did. She got out the oil, put it in a pan and turned it on high. Much to her surprise the grease caught on fire so she ran to the sink to get water. She thought water would put out the fire but it only made everything even worse. The sprinklers go off, the fire alarms roar, fire trucks arrive, and we all wait. The water from the sprinklers floods the third floor apartment putting out the fire, and it floods the second floor apartment, collapsing the ceiling. We are on the first floor. Now, on this wonderful President's day when a single mom leaves her girls home alone we find ourselves homeless. Murphy couldn't have written a better script. We can't wait for the next chapter in this story of President's day. I'm sure we will see the amazing grace and provision of a good God.”

Now, two days later, as I deal with all the insurance companies, moving companies, and a myriad of others I find, in the middle of it all, I’m at rest.  It’s strange, but in a time when chaos overwhelmed our lives Joye and I find we are homeless but wonderfully blessed by friends, the love of the church and the sweet peace and rest of God.

It’s interesting, as I write about it, that in the midst of a storm I can be at rest inside.  During the night last night, as I thought about the events we were thrown into, it was wonderful to rest in the peace, love and care of God.  Rest isn’t a beach somewhere with a margarita; it’s sleeping in the boat while the storms rage all around us.

In the midst of this storm I’m enjoying the rest that only comes because of God’s great love and provision....even in a storm.

Son of the Sovereign

It's easy to feel insecure, fearful, uncertain about the events around us.  It's easy to worry, to panic as we see things that seem out of control....

.....but do you know if you are a Christian you are a son (daughter) of the Sovereign of everything!  The one who made everything, the one who holds it all together, the only God is your Father.  He rules everything!  Relax.  He's in charge and he loves you.

You are a son of the Sovereign and nothing is out of his control.  Relax.

He knows you

Do you ever feel lost in the crowd?  Ever wonder if God even knows you are here, what problems you are having, how hard things are for you?  Ever feel a bit invisible to God with so much going on in the world?

We all have!  And yet, this morning, I began 1 Chronicles in my reading.  It's chapters of names and places.  In the middle of chapter one is this verse,

"Eber, Peleg, Reu,"

1 Chronicles 1:25

Who were these people? What did they do? How did God remember every one, every name and then write them all down for us to read thousands of years later? Here's what these three names tell me- God sees me (and you), he knows us, he cares, he knows us by name....we are not invisible and our names mean something to him! He loves each one.

If you want to see how serious God is about this read Psalms 139. In that chapter, in amazing detail, God tells us he sees us, he knows us and we are not invisible! We are precious, important to him!

Ever feel lost, invisible? God not only knows your name he designed you! He made you, as Paul describes it, his work of art. Go out there and enjoy being one of God's masterpieces.

Now, have a great day.

A world without grace

I have been watching, reading and listening to the changes coming in our world. The winds of change are brewing, and they whisper of a world ahead without grace. It's evident in the culture around us. It's a culture completely lacking grace. The contrast between the secular world and Christianity is dramatic, and it's very evident in this one area- grace. The God of the bible demonstrated his grace and love for man by becoming one of us, revealing himself to us, dying for us, and offering us forgiveness of all our sins...simply because we ask in faith!

There is nothing else like it. A faith based on the grace and love of God, full of promise and hope. All the work is done by God, not by us.

But we are in a time, in many parts of the world, where the grace of God is denied, ridiculed and suppressed...it's no longer the iron curtain we deal with, it's the graceless curtain of secular anger and rage. But God is amazing. He is penetrating that curtain with his grace and love. Man's best attempts at keeping him out look like children trying to dam a mighty river....their efforts are hopeless, the river will win and sweep them away. And in this battle between the world and the grace of God...God will win....he always does.

How amazing that, in a world where God's riches and grace are free, so many want to rage against the grace and love of God. This is spiritual warfare at the highest levels. It's our opportunity to shine the light on God's wonderful grace in a world where many are without God's grace, and have no idea of how much he loves them.

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