Imagine for a moment you’ve been a castaway on a remote island for the past ten years. You are overjoyed when a passing ship sees your signal for help and rescues you. Immediately, you begin reminiscing about the world you left behind a decade ago. On the voyage back to a port, a crew member gives you a stack of recent newspapers and magazines and shows you how to watch the ship’s satellite connection to the news channels. As all this information starts processing in your mind, you panic, “This is not the world I left behind. The world today is in a chaotic mess.” You become so overwhelmed you plead with the Captain to take you back to your island.
With all that’s happened in the last few months, a lot of people probably wish they had an island where they could escape all the distressing events taking place. The coronavirus has made it to every continent except Antarctica. I’ve always wanted to go to Antarctica. But now, we don’t have the finances after investors freaked out and the Dow-Jones alone lost 3,500 points in a week with the overall stock market losing $3.6 trillion. By the way that was your money. If that’s not bad enough, a study shows out of 162 countries only 11 are not involved in a conflict of one kind or another. Ok, enough of that, I’m sure you get the point.
So, what’s a Christian to do? When my Rottweiler gets hyper-active, I give her the command, “Chill”. God may not use the same expression but repeatedly scripture conveys the thought “Just chill out. Remember who’s in charge.” In Psalms 36 the Sons of Korah wrote a song about God’s constant presence among His people. The first three verses set the tone that the help of God is greater than any crisis. They write in verse 10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Different versions translate, be still, several ways—Be at peace; Stop your fighting; Stop your striving; Be still, be calm. My paraphrase would be, “just chill out”. The Message Bible translates this verse. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything (v10 MSG). Even when the world appears a chaotic mess, the Lord reassured believers: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. It doesn’t read, I hope to be exalted again. Rather it proclaims, I will be.
Chaos is nothing new to the Lord, When God began creating the heavens and the earth, the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass . . . (Gen 1:1, 2 TLB). Yet God was in absolute control. With the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors, God said, “Let there be light.” And light appeared I (vv. 2, 3). It took six days, but He brought order to all the chaos. On the first Sabbath day, creation including Adam and Eve rested in perfect peace. Satan set out to bring disorder to the universe and man. After man’s fall into sin, storms, war, and troubles became inevitable. The Lord gave this promise; You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you (Isa 26:3 NET) or You will keep in perfect peace (NIV).
God does not always promise to remove our storms but assures us He will be with us, protecting us. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Isa 43:2 NIV). Don’t panic. I’m with you (41:10 MSG). Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.
A key to being kept in perfect peace depends on having our thoughts on the Lord. We gain nothing by meditating on our troubles or the problems in the world. If you count your blessings, you begin to lose count of your troubles. Where are you trying to get peace? It doesn’t come through logic, reason, or understanding; God’s peace is beyond anything we can find this life. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give (Joh 14:27 NLT). The first step is turning everything over to Him. Cast [throw it down] all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet 5:7 NIV).
Dr. George McCausland, director of a YMCA in Pittsburgh, PA became overwhelmed because of a shortage of finances, membership losses, and lack of help. Working 85 hours a week caught up with him. After a heart attack, the doctor told him if he continued his lifestyle; he had less than a year to live. After prayer and meditation, he sat down on his back porch and wrote a letter. “Dear God…I hereby resign as General Manager of the universe! Love, George.”
Sustaining Word for the Week: Be Still—Step out of the traffic for a moment. Take a long, loving look at God. Remember He is in charge. Let Him manage the universe.