How fitting that my Blessings for Every Day desk calendar, written by Susie Larson, would begin with “As the winds of change start to blow in your life.” We are all devastated by the California wild fires, and some of us are delighted by the anticipated changes in our government as the inauguration nears. No, this is not a political endorsement of all that may result from the latter, but there is a spirit of change in the air, and as far as I am concerned, it is a welcome one as the world teeters on the edge of one disaster after another, and we Christians are praying for the Spirit of Pentecost to begin a revival in this land.
Her article for today is based on this reminder of Who is indeed in charge of our world, and whether disaster or troubles, we are to praise the Lord God who holds this world in the palm of His hand and His people close. She reminds us in Psalm 19:1-2 that in all circumstances, we are to praise Him: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”
She writes: ‘As the winds of change start to blow in your life, may you learn and listen for the voice of the Lord. Instead of looking for ‘signs ‘and mistakenly drawing the wrong conclusion, may you instead look to the Lord and His strength. He’ll speak to you in a way you understand. God wil lead you in the way you should go. He is faithful and true, and He’s doing a NEW thing in your life. Keep an ear bent towards heaven. Daily the heavens pour forth speech. May you listen for every word.”
Whether it’s the hurricane force winds in Los Angeles or the whiff of teaching from God’s word, we need in all circumstances to apply God’s word to the events and happening affecting us. If we begin with the proven principle that God is sovereign, He is in charge of the universe, including the thoughts of our minds, and that He is forever teaching us His precepts, then we can have head-attitudes that can encompass everything in our world. We can see that even disasters can result in our understanding that indeed “things” in our temporal world can rust, burn, and disappear, and that change is sometimes a positive thing. We can learn that Job’s story is once again true, that rebuilding is possible. We can learn from the wise men who returned to their county another way, that even our dreams can reveal God’s purposes for us.
What, then, are we to learn from devastating loss and change, and what can we do as prayer warriors? We can embrace things with compassion, with sincere prayer for our brothers and sisters, and prayers for revival among the people who welcome change knowing that our Lord is continuously welcoming our prayers for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. While we wait for His promised Kingdom on earth, where there are no more tears, and where we will know the intimacy of His presence, we need to pray continuously and do His work here on earth.
May He be praised this day, and may we continuously look for his blessing and listen to His still voice in the face of chaos and change.
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