Remain Faithful

For my birthday my mother gave me a devotional book by Paul David Tripp. For the last couple days each devotional begins with maybe you want ___________ from Jesus and then it ends with this phrase, "He will be nothing less than the Sovereign Savior King." Our world is in a pretty uncertain time right now. Who are we kidding, we are always in that state. However we have become more aware of this as our nation has been hit my one natural disaster after another. Impending threats from North Korea, Hurricane after Hurricane devastating all in its path, earthquakes, wild fires out of control and flooding are a few of the things we are facing today. I will be honest, it is scary. I have friends and family in the path of Irma. The storms changed our plans for orientation week for interns. There is a lot of crazy, uncertainty. As I walk through today stressing, thinking and planning for every possible scenario I am reminded once again that this is not my ministry. This is not my earth. This is not my plan. None of this is for my glory or depended upon my knowledge or actions. It is all under the feet of my God. "He will be nothing less than the Sovereign Savior King."

What a beautiful thing to rest in. It isn't easy to rest in, but it is beautiful and perfect. In our human flesh we want to reason and understand. We want it under our control. However, that is just impossible. It think of the Psalmist who ask "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Who are we to think that we have any authority or power to hold any control in our hands. I have heard people saying that the end of the world is coming.... to be honest it is. It gets closer and closer every day. But we do not know the day or hour of our Lord's return. Whatever the next day, weeks, months, or years hold for us will we gain a day more by worrying about it? Will our desperate attempt to control things change the course of God's will? Where does this leave us? I think there are several responses to this knowledge but my prayer is that my response be one of faithful hope.

We could deny it. We could hide from all the misery and disaster. We could try and build our own little kingdom or world, hemming in ourselves from the frightfulness outside our walls. We could become hopeless. We could know that the end is coming and just give up. We could sit and wait for it and do nothing more. I have wanted to do both of these. A part of me wants to turn off the T.V. and radio and block out any outside noise. I want to build my little life in peace and quiet and not think about any impending danger. But of course Jesus himself warned us that in this world we would have trouble. It isn't a very biblical response to run from it. I have also wanted to just sit and wait and forget everything else. I mean if the Lord is coming back next week lets just forget it all! Let me grab my coffee, my Bible's and just sit with the skyline in view...waiting anxiously. Then again when Jesus ascended into heaven, telling his disciples he would be back for them they stood their looking to the sky only to be rebuked by an angle. "What on earth are you looking at? Go, get to work!" (my paraphrase, obviously)

Neither of these are right responses... they are filled with fear or selfishness, honestly. God has been teaching me a lot recently in both regards. I realized that the best response is faithfulness. The Lord is coming back soon. That is a nonnegotiable, non-disputable fact. It is getting closer and closer every day. We are to be ready for it! Which I am. I am saved and right with the Lord. I will continue to fall before him when I sin and confess my sin because he is faithful and just to forgive it. We are to be watching! We aren't supposed to get so caught up living this life that we forget that we are bound for an even greater destination. Have a heavenly aspect of life. Remembering that this life is temporary. We are supposed to GO. God gives us many commissioning speeches throughout Scripture. We are called to be the feet that spread the gospel, those who tell others of his goodness and to bring him glory. We are called to work for him! It is like that story of the owner who gave 3 men differing amounts of talents and went away, telling them he would be back. The ones who invested the talents to bring more back to their master were rewarded. We are like those men. God has given us talents to bring him glory and one day he will return. He won't be satisfied if we bury our talent and anxiously and fearful wait his return! NO! We are called to invest those talents to further his kingdom and to bring him glory. Everything is for his glory! So remain faithful. In the midst of chaos, controversy and imminent doom, remain faithful to your God and King.

"He will be nothing less than the Sovereign Savior King."