We could say, “Things are really looking grim; the government is shut down; bills are mounting; what good can come from all this wrangling?; there are rumors of war and discord; how can I plan for my future?; what other shoe will drop?; bad things always come in three’s; is there no hope?”
Or, we could say: I am not in charge here, nor is any other man.
I choose to believe that God is sovereign, that He is at work in history, therefore today, and that whatever occurs, He has given us the strength we need for today, for tomorrow, forever.
Psalm 27: “For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. …I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wiat for the Lord.”
I choose to live in an attitude of gratitude. I am grateful that even with a government shutdown, temporary as it will be, we are not living in anarchy. Troops are not patrolling our intersections; arrests and imprisonment are not looming; the sun still rises and the sun still sets.
Inconvenience is a consequence of man’s actions or Congress’s inaction. In the eternal realm of things, we are merely playing out our roles, as Shakespeare reminded us, upon the fleeting stage of history. This crisis, like so many others, will play out, and perhaps we will learn lessons from history. Remember, that’s why they told us we study it? Meanwhile, like the psalmist I say, “Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.”
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