Does it seem like the past six years is a blur to you too?

We moved here one year before the pandemic shut down life as we knew it. Do you think of that season very often, I wonder? It still seems unreal to me.

Here, it's been six years of a LOT. Some good, some hard.

There have been job changes (now retirement for my guy), kid moves, new babies, working through challenges at church in the aftermath of 2020, being back in my former roles there as women's ministry director and decorating coordinator . . . before losing a sister, having an incarcerated brother (another story that you might read of one day), and having served the rapidly growing homeschool community in our area by mentoring and praying with the moms at the co-op.

On top of those big events, I continue to have hard conversations over controversial topics--worth having, but sometimes emotionally strenuous. All of these are my excuses for not writing much over the past few years. But things are shifting. I've stepped down from mentoring at the co-op, and I'm sensing the need to write another Bible study. And so I'm dusting off the keys . . .

Where We Are Now:

Even though we are on the other side of 2020, we are not on the other side of the effects of it.

We know that even before the first Trump run, the heart of our nation had become divided and combative. Grown adults have become more like kids on a middle school playground having word-wars than attending respectful town hall meetings with healthy debate. Think of the campaigning season; instead of the candidates showing the nation what they intend to do to build us up, they pointed fingers at one another with blame and shame.

It's a sorry state we are in. Fear is everywhere, as is fraud, and lies, and perversion.

I could go on but I wont.

But . . . those of us who are "in the world, not of it" (John 17:16) need not be swept away into the vortex of horizontal thinking. We remember the finger-pointing adult-middle-schoolers are not the enemy, Satan is. And we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who really and truly is in control of all things. (There's the exhale! Did you feel it?)

Yes, He is in control--He even has a tight reign on Satan. (Big sigh!)

The Question Might Be Asked:

Why doesn't God corral the devil in? Why does God allow evil to continue? Besides the fact that He is God and we should trust He knows what He is doing, when digging in deeper by reading the prophets, more light blazes on the reason for the political, financial and relational chaos in a nation--the reason is (not at all startling to us) sin. All the pain people are enduring around us is the effect of sin. And God wants people everywhere to know this eternally important fact: the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) And "death" means both devastation here and eternal separation from God (Light and Beauty and Freedom and Glory).

When our country is embracing and even legislating sin, we can be sure God's blessings are being withheld from our country. I told my Bible study class on Sunday that I believe the reason we are not under full judgment for the innocent blood that is polluting our land and for the desecration of what God has consecrated and for not acting justly is that we live here. We, the disciples of Jesus, the people who are blessed to be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2-3) The presence of the faithful blessses the land and stays the Hand.

Our presence on this land stays the hand of God from pouring out wrath. Our prayers and our influence are the greatest hope for the nation. Politics and politicians will continue to fail to repent and reform unless the saints of God see who we are meant to be and live into it. We need to proclaim the gospel with our lives and when given opportunity, our lips. We need to get together to pray like we believe God is God and can turn things around. We need to gather together in His presence and worship Him more . . . to linger longer in His presence.

What We Don't Need To Do:

• We don't need to complain or argue. Respectful debate is good, arguing is bad. (Phillipians 2:4)
• Fear. We do not need to fear because the Holy Spirit resides in us and will do in us and through us what we cannot do ourselves.
• Fight fire with fire. The devil wants us to tarnish the name of our Lord by acting in the flesh. Resist him and he will flee.
• Despair. It's a temptation for me when I see the way people are thinking to feel hopeless about the state of their souls. So, I remind myself what Jesus said, "Nothing is impossible for God!"

And so, wherever you are . . . whatever you're facing . . . however you're feeling . . . LOOK UP. Remember what is true. Believe God can do anything . . . and gather with outher believers to pray. Please pray that God will pour out His Spirit on our land and renew the face of the earth.

For more encouragement on this topic, listen to this sermon about the last vision of Daniel.

And our latest sermon on who Jesus is.