God's Message in the Midst of Mayhem

“God, what do You want to say?” “Do you have a specific message for me this crisis?”

Tucking away my Bible and journal, I turned from my morning devotional to proceed into my day. My conversation with the Lord continued as I transitioned from my chair to my desk where work awaited. Quietly, in His unmistakable manner, God impressed three thoughts on my mind. I offer these thoughts in hopes that you, too, fellow pilgrim, find direction and encouragement.

God’s Message in the Midst of Mayhem

Look to ME

In the Midst of the Mayhem, God says, “Look to Me.” Statistics, graphs, and grim realities grab our gaze. The media—broadcasting the numbers and the needs—overwhelms us. And focus is crucial because where we look affects our lives.

Years ago, as a busy mother of three, The Lord taught me a lesson for a lifetime:

To look down is to be discouraged; To look around is to be disappointed. To look within is to be disillusioned; To look up is to see Him!

Once we lift our eyes and look at Him, we look at life differently. Our circumstances may not change, but our perspective will.

A pagan king marvels, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity was restored” (Daniel 4:34). And through the prophet Isaiah God declares, “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22NKJV).

“Glance at the problem; gaze at Christ.” Manford Gutzke

Listen to ME

In the Midst of the Mayhem, God says, “Listen to Me.” Has there ever been a time when we listened more? No, I don’t think so. The noise smothers us as opinions pound the airwaves. We listen to the headlines, check the bulletins, hear the hurt, and feel the heartache. While monitoring the predictions, we pay attention like never before.

Yet, above all other voices, God wants His children to listen to Him. Within the heavy and heart wrenching world we now call home, He speaks.

“… the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice” (I Kings 19:11-12).

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

In the midst of the cacophony, God whispers. He invites us to be still and listen.

Oh Lord, give us ears to hear!

Renew Your Love for ME

In the Midst of the Mayhem, God says, “Renew your love for Me.” Coronavirus does not alter the preeminence of the Greatest Commandment. When tempted to worship our problems and be controlled by our crisis, God invites us afresh to love and worship Him.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12: 28-30).

In our current coronavirus culture, our hearts evermore find their deepest solace and lasting satisfaction in Jesus. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a).

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; In Him, my righteousness, alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. -Edward Mote

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

In the midst of the mayhem, what is God saying to you?

How do you win the battle over the noise to look at Him, listen to Him, and renew your love for Him?

7 Guidelines from The Cold War to The Corona War

COVID-19 transports Larry and me back to the Communist era of our lives with its demanding, ongoing crises. We stood in line to buy toilet paper, we navigated life with rationed food items, and we consistently walked into stores with empty shelves. Daily, we listened to briefings on BBC radio for uncensored news.

Did I learn anything from residing behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War that now provides direction in the Corona War? Yes, indeed! God willing, these guidelines will encourage you and those dear to you during this tumultuous time.

7 Guidelines from The Cold War to The Corona War

Guideline #1: Routine Recognize the value of routine. In the years we lived covertly in the enemy’s land, Larry and I strove to create a routine for our family and for ourselves. Mealtime, playtime, story time, and bedtime provided a helpful structure to our otherwise high-intensity lives.

Likewise, in navigating today’s turbulent waters, he and I function in a simple routine that yields peace and productivity. Though we work toward our global AIA mission at our own desks, we meet at the coffee pot, share meals, compare news updates, and pray.

My recommendation—allow routine to play a role in establishing your equilibrium.

Guideline #2: Read Read the Bible, and read excellent books. In our Warsaw, Poland home, with minimal television, reading provided a nourishing source of relaxation.

By contrast, our current crisis lures us to increased interaction on devices. So, I remind myself—and you—reading books is an investment that promises healthy dividends on the other side of this pandemic.

Ask yourself, “Is this the time to read Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas?” “Would I like to reread a treasured classic, perhaps Little Women?” “Should I sign up for an Audible.com account?” A positive answer to any one of these questions can season the present situation with personal enrichment.

Guideline #3: Rest Focus on rest, both spiritual and physical. Warfare requires rest, whether standing against the Communists or fighting the Corona battle. Consider the verses below, and make every effort to be a soldier fit for battle.

Spiritual rest: “My soul finds rest in God alone” (Psalm 62:1). Physical rest: “You will lie down and not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet” (Proverbs 3:24 NKJV).

Guideline #4: Resist Resist fear. Stand guard against fear’s poisoning influence, and refuse to let it circle your wagons. During the 70s and 80s, we lived with ongoing surveillance of us in our home and in our activities. Fear threatened to rob us of the quality of life God intended, thereby rendering us ineffective in our mission.

Standing our spiritual ground then trained us for standing our spiritual ground now. God’s joy for His children is not dependent on circumstances, and our enemy cannot shove out His presence. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid” (Psalm 56:3-4).

Guideline #5: Realize Realize this intense challenge will not last forever, so look ahead and design a break. In the face of a threatening miscarriage—with medical services marginalized—Larry and I pulled out the brochures and planned a summer vacation. This exercise created a much-needed mental break within the dark days of a fragile pregnancy.

So, in the cauldron of today’s confusion, look ahead and consider, “What adventure awaits me on the other side of this?” “Is there a friend to visit, a destination to explore, a getaway weekend to plan?” Such an activity opens a door of hope for the future.

Guideline #6: Recall Recall simple pleasures. Polish parks offered fresh air and scenic walks. On a weekly basis, our young family joined the national pastime and stepped into the cultural stream to stroll the paths.

Reflecting on the benefits of days gone by, Larry and I now purposely lace up our walking shoes and hit the outdoor trails near our home. The fresh air outing does not disappoint!

Are there other simple pleasures to recall? Yes; placing fresh flowers in a vase, playing a board game, putting together a puzzle, or lighting a candle, to name a few.

What about you? What comes to your mind when you think about introducing light pleasure into these complex days?

Guideline #7: Remember Remember—God reigns. Living With Eternal Intentionality® affects my life perspective; I believe that my days are numbered (Psalm 139:16b). When God decides to call me Home, nothing will keep me here. Likewise, nothing will take me sooner than He plans. Just like during the Cold War, knowing of His presence and His plan in the Corona War frees me to accept my circumstances and rest in His divine care. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). “Underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27b).

Now, I pray a blessing for you, as together, we seek His guidelines for this unprecedented time: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

Which of the 7 guidelines above most resonates with you?

What verse of Scripture or attribute of God’s character is guiding you along the rocky path of today?

Climbing Above the Crisis

Playing high in the tree house with my grand-darlings made the coronavirus feel distant and diminished. Swinging comfortably in the hammock, listening to the rain fall softly on the tin roof, and planning wistfully for an outdoor sleepover bolstered my Gammy-heart above the crisis, chaos, and confusion of our altered lives.

Ahhh, if only …

Alas, one cannot live in a tree house forever, and I eventually needed to return to our worried world. At dusk, I gingerly climbed backwards, down the narrow ladder to our coronavirus earth and the absorbing challenges we face.

However, God has provided for you and me, His beloved children, a far more secure refuge than even my tree house hideaway. Rather than leaving us nervous, scared, and confused, He invites us into an eternally secure shelter in the strong and sturdy branches of His glorious Word.

Come—climb the ladder with me and rest in the soothing, sanitized certainty that only He can guarantee. Climbing Above the Crisis, we read:

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, he delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4 NIV).

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2 NIV).

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17,18 NIV).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NASB).

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NASB).

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

So going forward,

“May we continue to prioritize our intimacy with Jesus. May the Word be our source of perspective, and communication with the Father our source of comfort and strength.” Steve Sellers, Cru National Director

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

Which of these verses means the most to you in the face of our current global crisis?

How has God met you recently and offered you the supernatural comfort which only He can give?

Please join the conversation by adding your comments.

- artwork by Blake Thompson