God is in Control!
I wrote the following on September 11, 2001, in response to the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center. In light of the recent Asian Tsunami disaster I find myself dwelling on these truths once again:GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE!
"I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple" (Isaiah 6:1).
We may not understand what is going on; we may not understand why these things are happening; we may not know what will happen next; but one thing we can be assured of: GOD IS IN CONTROL! He is not surprised, nor is He wringing His hands wondering what to do. He is
sovereign, and for whatever Kingdom purposes He has in mind, He has allowed this. Let us keep our eyes on the Prince of Peace and remember what He said:
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
"Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Matthew 21:25-28).
Look up!
Your redemption draws near!
This is simply another sign that we are living in the last days. May today's events shake us out of our complacency and motivate us to tell others that Jesus Christ is our only hope. May we never take this important truth for granted. This is not the time for panic; this is the time for preaching!
As believers, let us take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and focus our minds on the truth. He will give us His peace as we rest in His promises.
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3).
This is a time to ask God to revive our OWN hearts. Let us redeem the time wisely by digging into the Word and bathing our world, our nation and our families in prayer. And let us not forget the sacrifice of praise in all of this.
Let's pray. "Lord, who else can we turn to at a time like this than You? There is none like You, Lord. Only You are worthy to receive all honor and glory and praise. Though we don't understand what is going on, we can rest in the fact that You do. You are in control, Lord, no matter how we feel. You told us to fear not. Lord, help us not to fear. It is difficult at times like this. Help us to keep our minds on Your promises and not on the enemy's lies. Keep us in Your perfect peace.
"Lord, we lift up the families and friends of those who have died. Father, please surround them with your comfort and peace. Draw them to yourself, Lord. Turn their eyes toward You and You alone.
"Lord, we also pray this for our world. Use these events to draw people to You. Open their eyes and help them to see that there is only hope in Christ. Help them to see You as You truly are, not as they perceive You to be. Burden the hearts of believers with a sense of urgency to pray and to share the gospel for Your name's sake!
"We remember your admonition to look up. Our redemption is near! May we redeem the time wisely and live each day as if it is our last. Oh, Lord, how we want You to be glorified through this! In Jesus' name, Amen!"
GOD IS IN CONTROL!
posted by Linda @ 1:42 PM
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