It’s OK to just BE.
Be still.
Be faithful.
Be courageous.
Be.
God is the great I Am.
God is still God, even with the world losing the bag of marbles it possessed…
God has given His people power–but only God can truly save America. Only God can save the world.
He died so we could be saved. That doesn’t promise us lovely lives, though. It doesn’t mean we won’t be hated, slandered, mocked, and killed. It doesn’t mean our nation will always do the right thing. It doesn’t mean we will always find fleshly satisfaction or be constantly admired among peers. We must focus on what matters. We must go through every season–the good and the not-so-nice–with God.
Today, amidst severe thunderstorms, I’ve really been pondering joy. It isn’t something I often think of. I’ve been busy keeping up with the news, listening to the White House conferences, and praying daily. But what about joy?
Some days hurt. We’re in a pandemic, after all. God says:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
— Ecclesiastes 3
Through every day, every season, God is there. God loves us. He died and came back so we could be saved, so we could find His love, so we could have His joy.
In the big picture… That’s what matters. Maybe we can’t change the world, or the government, or lead millions to Jesus. But God still has a place for us. We can write novels that lead people closer to God. We can sing music that glorifies God. We can do small acts of kindness to help others. There is so much to do that matters. There is so much joy to be found in Jesus, even in the darkest of times.
So take heart. Through every season, we have purpose. Through every season, we can do God’s work. Through every season, we can take shelter in God’s love for us. In every season, we can BE with GOD. That’s what matters.
God bless you each.
Ang