What Does God Think About Global Crises?

Confession: I don't claim to know all that God thinks.  
(and we should all be wary of those who do)

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD.

"And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-10

But sometimes I sure wonder what on earth He thinks about the injustices and atrocities that surround  us. Evil seems to grow powerful and pervasive, and sometimes it makes me desperate and cry out,

God! What do YOU think about this!?

And what should I DO?!

Recently I have been learning about the various industries and their powerful influence over nations and the world as a whole. One evening, after watching a documentary (Blue Gold: World Water Wars) I became especially bothered by the injustice of powerful industry essentially exploiting and killing the poorest of the poor - the 'least of these', and profiting greatly from their oppression.

I could think of little else. I washed dishes and shook my head. I cleared the table, wondering what God is up to. I tucked in the children, wondering what my responsibility is in such a huge problem.

The next morning I opened the Word to continue reading in Psalms. "Lord, help me know what to do" I pleaded, and then began to read Psalm 37.

Know what the first words were that I read that morning?

"Don't worry about the wicked

or envy those who do wrong."

Lips parted in surprise. I was about to hear from Him on the subject. 

"Be still in the presence of the LORD

and wait patiently for Him to act.

Don't worry about evil people who prosper

or fret about their wicked schemes."

His Word is so alive and active, isn't it?  At this point, I found myself secretly saying something like, "Yeah but... yeah but... what do I DO?? Just sit here and trust you and do not act? Doesn't that make me a culprit too?"

And He repeats about twelve times in different ways, "Trust me".
The stanzas echo in deafening volume the promise given to God's people in Deuteronomy 32:34

"I will take revenge; I will pay them back.

In due time their feet will slip.

their day of disaster will arrive,

and their destiny will overtake them.'

(Side note: You may point out that this passage speaks of the punishment that befalls God's own people when they turn away from Him. But God also addresses His justice on His enemies at the end of the song:)

"For He will avenge the blood of His servants;

He will take revenge against His enemies.

He will repay those who hate him

and cleanse the land for His people." 

What God thinks of those who oppress the poor and steal and murder and profit from their misdeeds is clear. He will not tolerate it forever.

In the meantime, He uses these injustices (and I do not presume this to be the only reason!) to purify His bride. It's funny - Christians are widely trained to believe that Jesus came to bring peace and comfort and heaven on earth. And we work feverishly to insulate ourselves from trouble, and complain when hardship dares to afflict us. US! The children of a Holy God! Gasp!
Yet Jesus never EVER said we will live in utopia until He comes. Quite the opposite. 

"Do you think I have come to bring peace to earth? 

No, I have come to divide people against each other!" 

Luke 12:51

(How does that sit with your picture of Jesus by the way?) 
Why does He say this? Brother Lawrence understood well that one must trust God in all things. He knew "God could remedy any mischief, although sometimes He permitted evil for reasons very true and useful in the order of His Providence." (p.18, The Practice of the Presence of God)

And I see the benefit of suffering in my own life too. Repeatedly. 
Even now, as I am torn over evil done to others near and far, the Lord challenges me to trust Him: rely on Him and wait patiently for Him to act. This is difficult. It feels lazy and even wrong to just sit and pray.

But this is the working out of salvation; trusting Him beyond understanding. Belief.

"Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: 

Believe in the One He has sent."

John 6:29

Whatever your struggle, I encourage you as the Lord encouraged me: trust Him and wait patiently for Him to act. He is good and able and He. Will. Do it.

When I Feel Like Hiding...

Sometimes I don't want to talk to God. Mostly, it's when I suddenly glimpse all the junk that still lurks in me after all this walking with Him. "You mean I'm not holy yet?!"  

Once in a while, I get real tired of missing the mark all the time, you know? How can I work so hard to please my Father and still be in a completely desperate state of needing Him. Will I ever get it right? Can I do NOTHING?!  Scripture says we can do nothing apart from Him, so why on earth do I ever expect to? Pride I guess. Wanting to be good on my own, without His help.  

... sounds alot like a two year old. "No! I DO IT!!!"

But, it happens. I get discouraged. I hide myself in movies, shopping, overeating... anything to keep from thinking about how short I fall.

And He lets me, loving Father that He is. He lets me walk away, taking His blessings with me. Even if I end up going quite insane and find myself inexplicably chin deep in a pig pen, He lets me. 

But, when I've had enough of the guilt and hopelessness, he also lets me come back. Finally I become ready to show my ugly self to Him (the ugliness was only ever a surprise to me), and allow Him to fix me. 

I still don't really feel like reading or praying. I'm not happy or relieved. I'm desperate and dirty and so very dependant on Him to help me. So I tell Him my feelings, and show Him my dirt. 

And do you know how He responds? 

"My child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline,

and don't give up when he corrects you. 

For the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." (Hebrews 12:5,6)

I love that. He knows how much we want to give up when He corrects us. It feels near hopeless when He shows me how wrong I am - how I'm missing the mark. I want to hear 'well done', not 'okay, here's your sin...' But He loves me enough to do it. 

And He continues to reassure me:

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! 

But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living 

for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:11)

He gets it. He knows this is hard for us, and He's right there with empathy, reassurance and even a promise, setting joy before us so we can endure the now. 

But it's not just for us. There's an assignment to accomplish for the benefit of others:

"So take a new grip with your tired hands 

and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a 

straight path for your feet so that those who 

are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." 

(Hebrews 12:12,13)

And we can please God and serve Him by the power of Jesus Christ. This book closes with a blessing the author prays over the church. I hope it strengthens and encourages you too. 

"Now may the God of peace - 

who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, 

the great Shepherd of the sheep, 

and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood - 

may he equip you with all you need

for doing his will. 

May he produce in you

through the power of Jesus Christ, 

every good thing that is pleasing to him. 

All glory to him forever and ever! Amen."

(Hebrews 12:20,21)

Stumbling on the Path...

I threw on my coat and headed out the door. I walked down the sidewalk path and, as I stepped down onto the driveway, I slipped. One leg suspended in air, my body twisted sideways, I was set to land on my side and hip. But I somehow regained balance and kept walking.

“Thank you Lord!” I spoke into the crisp air. I wondered if it was angels that had held me up or if it was Jesus himself. Either way, falling would have really hurt. He saved me from that pain.

And then the Lord spoke to my heart that He did not just save me from falling on my side, but that this was a promise. The day before I cried out in desperation that the Lord would save me from my rotten prideful self. Humble me Lord! Help me not fall into defeat! I’d noticed critical thoughts running through my mind the day before, and I know what comes next. Judgment of others brings judgment on me. I HATE defeat. I loathe the pride in me that tries to climb into Jesus’ throne and pass judgment on others as though I know anything.

And I cried out to God to please save me and forgive me, and to take this flesh and replace it instead with the Holy Spirit – and LOVE and kindness and humility.

Even that morning I had read about Solomon and how he is contrasted with David.  (1 Chronicles and 1 Kings 10,11) Both men sinned, but one repented and the other refused to obey the Lord in just one area. That was the difference. Repentance.  And I cried out that my first love – my adoration of Jesus, of God would never grow cold, but instead grow deeper and deeper as I know Him more.

And this moment was a promise.

I was on the path, and slipped. And the Lord physically held me up, protecting me from falling. And it still wrecks me!

I went into the garage thanking Him, and praising Him. And I collapsed, becoming awestruck. And shattered.  I became Isaiah in the presence of God – I’m RUINED!!! I’m an awful wretch, and you save me?! I don’t deserve your goodness! It’s too much for me!! Yet I receive it.

And I sat and wept and laughed and goobered all over. Even now tears stream as I record it.

I am on the path of righteousness, the Lord goes before me and leads me. And I will stumble but not fall. I will stumble on the path! But He will guard me.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
    He delights in every detail of their lives.
 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand.

-Psalm 37:23,24

 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. ²⁵ All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

-Jude 24,25

Lord you are good and can be trusted. Even when I sin, when I repent you are merciful and just to forgive me. You lead me by green pastures and still waters and restore my soul. You restore my soul and create in me a clean heart! Thank you!!!! 

You are awesome and worthy of all praise! 

.

Admiring the Master Behind the Piece

How does one share life? How can one describe all the mess and beauty and months of moments in one brief page?

I’d love to invite you into this gallery. I’d relish walking with you in these halls, admiring God’s artful touch in a life. I want to point you to every framed painting and tell the riveting tales that propelled each brush stroke. We could even peek at some unfinished works and wonder together what they’ll become…

I desperately want to study these corridors with you. Let’s admire the artist who hangs moments in galleries for our eyes - and hearts- to feast.

But I don’t know where to start. There are so many frames. The corridors stretch beyond sight. Each artful stroke would be impossible to describe…

So let’s start anywhere. 

Just come in, and let’s glimpse them together work by work. 

Come in and feast on the master behind the piece. 

He is good and skilled; playful and brilliant.

Look, here’s one…

It’s June. Pen in hand, I trace the handle of a coffee mug. “Holy Spirit, what do you have to say to me today?” Pen is poised to record what I’d otherwise forget.

I scrawl the words.

… coming soon …

What’s coming soon Lord?

… newness …    The word is palpable. It swells with feeling, like a seedling under soil not yet having touched light. And finally it bursts through, bent, and unfurls stretching for the sun.

I lean forward and lick parted lips.
When Lord?

… four …

Four days? Four Weeks?  I sprinkle questions about what will happen in the next four days, but hear nothing. Until finally,

… you’ll see…

It’s hard to leave it there, unfinished. But the artist has moved on to another painting. He’ll return when the time is right. He does this all the time. The wait is hard, but I love discovering the brushstrokes he adds quietly when I’m not looking. So I wander the halls, admiring his work while I wait.

Months pass; hard months of struggle and aching. I feel wrapped in a straight jacket – restricted and pressed down. Arms tied, I walk the halls to remember hope and give thanks. My arms fall asleep. They tingle and hurt. Finally, when I can’t take any more, I am released; freed to move. As I rub arms awake, the mouth turns up and I remember how to smile.

Deeply relieved, I walk the halls, admiring and giving thanks. I pause in front of that unfinished frame – the promise of ‘newness’ – and notice it’s complete. I lean in to examine added brushstrokes and I see it. June. The promise was made four months ago. And it felt just like He said it would.

He knew. What would happen, how I would respond, even when I would come and stand in front of this frame again – he knew it all. More than that, He planned it. I don’t know why or  how. But if you’d ask, I can imagine what the Playful Artist might say.

‘you’ll see…’

The Drug of Criticism, and What Every Spiritual Valley Makes You Decide...

Criticism is a drug. 
(I know because I'm a user trying to quit...)

Call it discernment, intellectual debate, observation, theological analysis even, (or just plain ole being right) but when we rely on our own perception, we tread dangerously....

I'm not proposing some empty-headed approach... to float along accepting of every little thing. Wisdom is called for. But... 

Our own understanding can get us in a world of trouble... "

Those who trust their own insight are foolish, 

but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe." 

Proverbs 28:26

"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. 

Who really knows how bad it is?" 

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT 

(And note how Proverbs 3:5 sets up as opposites 'Trust in the Lord' and 'depend[ing] on your own understanding'...)

And it's sneaky, this haughty eye... 

Just when I think I have it beat, and can move on, suddenly every thought I have towards others is judgmental. ...And soon I'm ugly again.

Rotten. Joyless. 

I know what to do. But the simple task of 'taking my thoughts 

captive and making them obedient to Christ'*

is eerily similar to quitting smoking... 

(insert your own addiction here... remember how hard it was to quit?) 

I remember years ago, I smoked a pack daily. I managed my schedule around cigarettes. I was addicted. Once I committed to quit, I suddenly didn't know where to put my empty hands. I became acutely aware of my own breathing and the heavy ache for nicotine... 

Consciously shifting my attention from that physical need to something else was

intensely

hard

work.

Sometimes it was a minute-by-minute work. 

And so it is with judgment - of other people, and even of the general unfairness of this dark place. 

When I cry out to God, "Injustice!! DO something!" and ask how He can allow women and children to be raped, and permit people to be enslaved and abused and tortured... perhaps before they ever hear the  name of Jesus... when I cry out like that, I'm basically not trusting God. I'm essentially saying 'I have a better idea than the Creator of the universe'. I tremble at the thought... 

Ultimately, every spiritual valley 

brings me to the same choice: 

I must decide between trusting God more, 

or trusting Him less.

There is no third option.

May your word fill me with your true wisdom. Open my eyes to your truth Lord. Thank you for training me in trust. You are the one Sovereign Lord who sees all and allows all (yes, even these horrors mentioned) for your good purposes and for your glory. Indeed Lord, You are good and can be trusted. 'I believe Lord, help my unbelief!' *

"Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge!

How impossible it is for us to understand  his decisions and and his ways! For who can know the Lord's thoughts? 

Who knows enough to give him advice? 

... For everything comes from him and exists by  his power

and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever and ever."

Romans 11:33-36

"Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? 

... Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? 

Tell me, if you know so much." 

Job 38: 2-4 (excerpts)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

⁶ 

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take."

Proverbs 3:5,6

.