“The sky is falling, The sky is falling!” You’ve heard it haven’t you? A short phrase from an old, childhood fable! I’m sure you’re familiar with the age-old ‘kid’ story of Henny Penny when the acorn fell on her head? Oh my goodness, gracious, she was sure the sky was falling and quickly started off to let the King know of such a disaster about to happen! Along the way, she met up with friends and Ducky Lucky, Goosy Poosy, and Turkey Lurky all wished to join in on the journey to tell the King. It all went very well until, along the way, they met up with a friend who was not really a friend at all. Foxy Loxy, was a sly guy, out for himself, who told them were going the wrong direction, then deceivingly led them off down a garden path, right into his den where they never were seen again. Some variations say that Henny Penny heard the rooster crow and escaped and quickly ran off since it was time to lay her morning egg. It’s a simple fable, for children’s ears, that quickly became a bedtime favourite for me and had long been forgotten in the recesses of my mind. The other day as I sat contemplating the present situation of disaster sitting on our doorsteps, Henny Penny’s words, “The Sky is Falling,” came to mind. With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting us hard between the eyes, it’s left the globe reeling in chaos! Thing is, it’s not a silly fable of an acorn hitting anyone on the head, but rather, it’s a dreadful reality in our very real day to day world, where a world we once knew as friendly, has become like a ferocious lion, turning on us, seeking whom it may devour, as it feels like the sky falls and crumbles in dreadful disorder at our feet, taking life with it.
Yeah, we might truly feel, at such a time as this, the sky is falling with imminent disaster but what on the face of this virus-infested earth are we to do about it? Turns out there’s nothing we can do, except be heroes in our homes to keep others well. I get it that, we may have our own trauma, inside our COVID-19, social distancing, walls with many things churning in our minds. Close quarters, sometimes too close for comfort! Fear of death, safety for our kids and our families coupled with financial pressure, health issues, family struggles, and emotional upheaval, where just coping and keeping our heads above water is hard. There may be many voices to hear and many thoughts to control. Some voices will convey fear, others panic! Other confused voices might lead us off track making us feel completely helpless and hopeless in it all and lure us into a den of temptation, despair and eventually defeat.
Thing is, beautiful ones, we have a King too; a sovereign King who isn’t surprised by any of this. Turns out, He really knows the end from the beginning of this story and in His Sovereignty, He still remains in charge, no matter how it appears! No matter how much each day is more of the same bad news, we’ve got to know He’s got this thing that man has no control over. So let’s just trust Him for all of our cares and keep building our ark! Make it strong by standing on a firm and solid faith in the One who speaks peace into the eye of the storm. Gather in your sweet promises from a God who honours His Word and has our best interest at heart. Tuck them into your back pocket, secure them safely in your heart and inhale them deeply into the soul of you. Build it high and build it wide and seal it with a hedge of protective prayer, for your families! Don’t let down your guard not even for a minute to follow deceptive voices and sly foxy loxies into a den of despair and defeat. Paul urges the persecuted church, and us today to be filled with joy anyway, because our happiness isn’t dependant on our circumstances, but solely on our relationship with the Lord and is resilient even in the midst of suffering and death. Our joy comes from simply knowing that whatever happens, God will use it for the ultimate good. In chapter 4: 6 -9
Philippians 4: 6, 9
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
It’s a new day dawning and I get that it’s uncertain. Perhaps our most important message of the hours that come and go would be that given by the writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews 12: 2, “To fix our eyes on Jesus” in these days of uncertainty. The book of Hebrews was written, possibly as a sermon, as an energetic pastoral response to meet the needs of the struggling people of Rome yet, today ‘we’ are those people, struggling, meeting challenges head-on, that we don’t know how t
The world has a mess of stuff on its doorstep! Who knew? Yet just out of the blue, it sideswiped us! Took us off guard and caught us unprepared. Now it’s a full-blown season of questions without many answers, but yet, you gotta know, even the hard times hold beautiful moments for your beautiful soul. This is not a time to press panic buttons and hide away out of fear but It ‘is’ a time of quiet reflection on life as we see it with a “hands-on, how simple life can be” reference. These days of closures and lockdowns and self-isolation provide a much-needed opportunity for a time-out to bask in the presence of the Omnipotent, Omnipresent sovereign God who is in control and who encompasses you on every side and has you in the palm of His nail imprinted hand! He wouldn’t think of letting you go, not even for a second! He’s got your heart all wrapped up sweet and tight and safe in His, nestled in with His vast and unconditional love and held snug with a grace so amazing it’s beyond comprehension! So even on the days when you feel alone ~ you’re not at all. He’s there for you and your beautiful soul in your moments of need ~ held fast with His mercy! So today, beautiful one, it’s simple. Don’t focus on the latest news, but rather fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and just respond with a thankful heart for His divine watch-care over your family. Let Him work His plan in you and through you. Be alert to His words of guidance and walk in sweet and simple trust. A childlike faith in an all-powerful God is what you need for today ‘cuz a simple faith walk with Him is a victory walk and a win/win situation. Go for it! He’s got you in these uncertain times.
The scriptures are filled with the words ‘fear not.’ Over and over again the Word of God drives home the fact that fear has no place in the believer’s life, yet we often find ourselves fretting and worrying about things that are out of our control. Worry is the complete opposite of trust and faith and as the little chorus goes, it asks a very pointed question, “Why worry, when you can pray?” Why do we fall under the torment of fear and distrust when we know that we have a sovereign, all-knowing, all present all perfect, God of love, who sits on His throne at all times, directing the finest, most intricate detail our lives with His all-powerful hand?
As Christ Ones, and those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, our sins are forgiven and cast into the sea, to be remembered no more. They’re done, they’re over and they’re gone. We have accepted God’s plan of salvation and perfect love and we have no need to fear judgment from our most perfect God of perfect love because we’ve settled our account with the One who paid the debt for our freedom from the punishment we deserve. Yes, He’s an all righteous God and the all righteous judge and He will come again to judge, but He comes to judge those outside of His love; those who have chosen not to trust in Christ, the spotless lamb who died on the cross shedding His blood for their reconciliation to God. If you are outside of His plan of salvation today, and you’ve never asked Christ to forgive you, then you will fear and have reason to fear, because His perfect love does not dwell within you, nor you in Him, and God Himself says, there will be a payback day, when God will take action against the evil and the sin that has never been repented of. Our hope is in the Lord as 2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us, “At the right time I heard you, and on a day of salvation I helped you. Listen, now is really the “right time”! Now is the “day of salvation!”.
Raising four kids over my ‘mom’ years has taught me some interesting and valuable lessons about forgiveness. I’m still learning but I’ve realized it isn’t about the other person or the offender at all. No ~ As selfish as it sounds, It’s about the “me, myself and I”, before the Lord, in the situation, and His power and His strength in us, giving us the ability, to accept the loss or the hurt, regardless of how deep it may go! We have to get closer to God in order to forgive an
Think of it this way! Have you ever forgiven your kids, even when they haven’t asked? When they’re young, we do don’t we? And in their child-like simplicity, they forgive us when we fail them in their little worlds, so big to their concerns. It’s all in a day’s work and just a valuable part of training in kids-world and parenting. However, as they get older with their own minds and rebellious behaviours, it becomes a little more “adult-like” difficult and chances are they’re not asking because they don’t care. So, rather than harbour it, holding it against them ~ we have to accept what they’ve done, forgive and let it go and yeah, maybe ten times a day or more and always with the knowledge of another day tomorrow with maybe more of the same scenario. Remember the offender seldom asks nor do they have the ability nor power to heal. If we depend on the offender for our healing we may take the bitterness to our grave.
Hope and Healing In Hard Places 