Is God In Control?
This month has been mission month at our church. I have lots to ponder on the messages we received. Today we had a guest praise leader - Robin Mark. He's the writer of many songs, including "These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord, these are the days of your servant Moses, righteousness being restored . . . This morning we got to hear the "rest of the story". Robin wrote this song while watching TV during 1994. This is the year of the genocide in Rwanda. He remembers watching the news, and and realizing that the number of people murdered was 2/3 of his country (Ireland). He had the thought - how can God be in control? But then God spoke to his heart, and said, I am in control, just like I was in the times of Elijah, in the times of Moses, Ezekiel. I am still God, I still come. I had to include this story for a person near to my heart, who doesn't like this song!! Hopefully this will bring new meaning, and liking for this song. There IS no God like JEHOVAH!
Is the Shekinah (Glory of God) Apparent In My Life?
Our message today, included thoughts of the Shekinah, or glory of God. The glory of God filled the temple in the Old Testament times, but departed from Israel for 400 years not to appear again until the Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and the Glory of the Lord shone around them. Nine months later the Glory appeared in the form of a little baby, and now, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, God's temple. It begs the question do I show the Glory of God? It's a little disappointing to think how often I don't . . .
What is God's Plan?
The week before we had a talk from the International Justice Mission. The speaker told us there are more slaves in the world now, than there were in the days of the North and the South. Doesn't this just blow your mind?! There is something seriously wrong with this world. We're not just talking about girls and women sold into sexual slavery, but people sold into slavery to work in fields, or sew, or for whatever evil purposes people have in mind. He said, people ask them, when they hear these stories, where is God? How can He be in control? What is God's plan to rescue these people and this world? Well guess what. God does have a plan and it's you and it's me. We need to get to work. We need to pray. We need to learn more about the injustices in the world and do what we can to show Jesus love - whether it's by work, prayer, financial support or all three. So, write to your senator and representative - tell him/her you care about the injustice to people in this world. Be a modern day abolitionist. Get your sample postcard here.
I hear these messages and I think. What am I doing? What AM i doing? What am I DOING. God calls us to courage, and I think I am lacking . . .
6 comments:
I guess I struggle with that phrase "God is in control" as well. Does it actually use the word "control" in the Bible? Do we understand God's sovereignty the way he intends it to be understood? I do believe that in all time and in all places he is present and working for good, but in control in a lever flipping, button pushing way? That idea actually brings me no peace what so ever.
I think if we really understood God's Sovereignty we wouldn't even be able to walk around. To comprehend God's sovereignty would force me to a whole new level of intelligence that I think might literally blow my mind! But, your struggle with the "control" word is good. I'll have to look it up in my amplified Bible and see what it says. Also, we are players in the world with free choice, so control may not be the best word choice.
I still don't like that song. The section that keeps repeating, "There is no God like Jehovah!" makes me feel like one of the prophets of Baal. When Elijah met the prophets of Baal, they kept shouting for Baal to hear them. When Baal didn't answer, they shouted louder and louder. But when Elijah prayed to God, he prayed a quiet prayer, asking God to show Himself to the people. When God showed His power by sending the fire on the altar, the people fell on their faces, saying, "The LORD, He is God."
I love this song - I think there is a time and place for quiet prayer, and a time and place for "declaration" prayer. I think of this song as a declaration of who God is :-)
Tonia - I was thinking some more about your comment. In my devotions this morning I had the verse: "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power (making it active, operative, energizing, and effective); it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (the soul) and (the immortal) spirit and of joints and marrow (of the deepest parts of our nature), exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do." Heb. 4:12-14 (Amp). This made me think, maybe it's just that God's Word trumps everything that man can and does do either intentionally or unintentionally to thwart God's plan . . .
I will ponder, but for now I will say that those are some awfully powerful words.
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