Watch God Work
Saturday evening, I was talking to a young adult who was very disturbed by the news about human trafficking. Her heart was heavy, and the evil in this world burdened her. She was feeling hopeless. She is tired of the COVID and all of the negative news. I encouraged her to go to Scripture. We prayed for God to guide her and give her wisdom and clarity and for the truth to come to light. The next morning she said she listened to Pine Valley United Methodist Church Pastor Tim’s sermon. She was blown away at the things she heard. It was as if Pastor Tim had been listening to our conversation the night before. Isn’t God so good the way He works? Later I saw a clip of Pastor Tim’s sermon on her Instagram story reading, “My pastor speaking real truth!” The next day she had posted, “Start singing my praises. No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace. Isaiah 57:19.”
Pastor Tim began his sermon with all of the things we get to hear on the news: COVID-19’s death and destruction; the murder hornets; unrests; political, racial and social divisions; riots; Saharan dust storm named Godzilla; warning of a bad hurricane season and now a shortage on change (coins). This is what we hear when we turn on the television. And that television “tells” us a bleak vision! What we do not hear from the press is the moral decline in society. We do not hear that there is as much slavery now, as in the 1800’s, through human trafficking.
Quite often, I am hearing people refer to this being the end time. I do not know if it is or not. I would like to think it is the Great Awakening or a great revival because we, as Christians, still have a whole lot of work to do. Luke 21:25-28, “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Pastor Tim used this verse and reminded us of how many times through the years, people thought it was the end of time. During the fall of Jerusalem, near 70 A.D., Josephus, a well-known Jewish historian, recorded accounts of supernatural phenomena. They thought those were signs of the end times.
What was taken home for these girls was verse 28 that Pastor Tim talked about; “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” This is what we needed to hear!
Jesus told us to do one thing. Lift our head up. We do not have to look down and be ashamed. We are redeemed by faith. Jesus will deliver us. Jesus will save us. We just have to look to Him who has done it all for us and trust Him. We are to hold our head up and look towards the Heavens - where our help comes from! “My help comes from the Lord.”
Psalm 121, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
When we look at this world, we can easily get defeated. Worry and fear creep in, and we lose our focus. No matter what we face in this life, God is still on the throne! He is still the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and End, the Great Physician, our Comforter, and the list goes on! He made Heaven and earth, and He has a wonderful plan for us. He is with us! Let’s choose, today, to look up and watch God work! Thanks, Pastor Tim, for the real Truth!