Droughts, Floods, Ebola, and Wars
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:2-3
I wince as I watch the news. It threatens to squeeze out every drop of hope I’ve been guarding in my heart and dry me up like the brown grass parched by the drought. The plants in the yard bear witness to the missing rain – the rain that made a detour to join the flood waters pouring down on others. Those who would trade their wetness for a little of my dryness, and I would gladly make the trade. The deer visit at night looking for anything green. They have reduced the flower beds to rows of sticks stripped naked. The animals are hungry. And in the world people are hungry for God, they just don’t know it.
Ebola fills the headlines like a dooms-day banner. Reading about it threatens to make me sick to my stomach as I see the pictures of those suffering. People are dying. They say there is no cure. The world wants to be healed; they just don’t want a Healer.
War is raging on in countries around the globe as religions and powers fight to elevate their importance over others by force. Groups of people are being killed because of their race or what they believe. What is a “holy war” anyway?
All these things attempt to eat away at our peace and even Christians at times ask within their hearts, “Where is God?” His answer is always the same. “I am where I’ve always been, doing what I’ve always done.” Throughout His words given to us is not the question – Where is He, but where are we? The heart and character of God does not change with the climate. He doesn’t leave with the rain or come to invade villages with gunfire in the night as children sleep. He is a God of love and goodness. He does not change. People change.
If we are not careful we can allow the circumstances of the world to change us. We can allow fear to replace our trust in a God who is sovereign over all things. We can let the dryness of drought enter into our souls and make us like dry bones in the desert, or we may climb into the boat of doubt and let flood waters carry us off. We forget our God makes dry bones live again, and has power to calm the sea. Jesus taught His disciples a lesson while the wind and waves tossed their boat around – that it’s not as important what’s going on around us as it is what’s going on inside us.
Things change. Storms come. Sickness happens. There are wars and rumors of war. But in the midst of it all, where are we? Where are our hearts? Do we trust Him? In the storms of life are we taking refuge in Him? In times of drought are we drinking from the Fountain of Life? There is only one place to be where the problems of this changing world won’t overtake us and steal our peace, and that is hidden with Christ in God. It is from that place with Christ that we can reach out to others and offer them a place of refuge. We can offer them hope.
Where are you?
What a powerful message, Charlotte. You are right; God does not change, we change. May we seek Him daily to get His strength and peace to see us through the trials this side of heaven.