Our collective gaze is directed toward the western North Carolina mountains. Places I’ve known and visited as a child- Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Black Mountain- so recently devastated by a storm that should have never reached their borders, were caught completely off their guard. When Helene stalled out over the Smokies after several days of record rainfall, the results were catastrophic. At first I feel grateful to have just missed the worst of the storm, then helpless to do anything significant for our neighbors. Be certain that prayer is still our first and best resource but we will have many opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the days ahead.
I was reminded by a precious daughter in the faith just today that when we pray regularly for God’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we will know when it is time to move. As she recounted to me events from this past week, she spoke of knowing God was prompting her actions and of having confirmation in the form of scripture, songs, and sermons that released her from fear and drove her actions in the days that followed. Her testimony moves me to widen my gaze. I don’t want to miss what the Lord is doing around me. I want to join Him in kingdom work that has an eternal impact.
What are we going to do as a faith community and as a nation in response to recent events, and to future events for that matter? Even as I ask myself this question, I am reminded that anyone and anything I look to for safety and security besides God has become an idol for me. Who or what am I relying on to pick up the pieces of my messes?
I spoke to a friend whose sister lost her home and most of her family’s belongings. They’ve paid years worth of insurance premiums but not flood insurance. They have a mortgage on their home that they will continue to pay yet the house is not livable. You’ve seen the news footage. Businessmen and women are closing their doors because there is no money to reopen. Go Fund Me pages are popping up right and left on social media. Maybe you’re living comfortably or you’re just getting by. What on earth can you and I do in the face of so much need?
“When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?”
He said this to stretch Philip’s faith.
He already knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered, “Two hundred silver pieces wouldn’t be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece.”
One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.
But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.””
John 6:5-9 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/jhn.6.8.MSG
Most Bible translations say Jesus did this to test or prove Philip’s faith. I love the way The Message and The Passion Translation have chosen to word John’s summation of Jesus’s purpose.
“He said this to stretch Philip’s faith.
He already knew what he was going to do.” (John 6:6)
Stretching is healthy. We’ve become far too sedentary as a society, too content to sit on our laurels but I heard a quote many years ago that has stuck with me.
“We can’t be standing on the promises while we’re sitting on the premises!”
We’ve become too accustomed to going to church. We’ve forgotten that we are the church. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are the visible presence of God in the world. His Spirit supplies the same power God exerted when He raised Jesus from death to our frail mortal frames. (Ephesians 1:19-20, II Corinthians 4:7) He is not asking us to do His work in our own strength. All that I need He has supplied. (II Peter 1:3)
“I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”
He answered, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, sir,” I replied.
So he said to me, “A message from the Lord came to Zerubbabel.
The Lord said, ‘Your strength will not get my temple rebuilt. Your power will not do it either.
Only the power of my Spirit will do it,’ says the Lord who rules over all.
“So nothing can stop Zerubbabel from completing the temple.
Even a mountain of problems will be smoothed out by him.
When the temple is finished, he will put its most important stone in place.
Then the people will shout, ‘God bless it! God bless it!’ ””
Zechariah 4:4-7 NIRV
https://bible.com/bible/110/zec.4.7.NIRV
Jesus called the Pharisees out for following the letter of the Law but not the Spirit in parables like the Good Samaritan. All our attention to detail and good intentions cannot replace simple obedience to God and His Word. He is so much greater than anything He created, than anything I could admire or fear. He knows my limitations, but He has none! Maybe we have forgotten to look up often enough to see Him at work and to remember that “God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
“I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.”
Psalms 121:1-2 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/psa.121.1-2.MSG
“God’s splendor is a tale that is told, written in the stars.
Space itself speaks his story through the marvels of the heavens.
His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship.
Each day gushes out its message to the next, night by night whispering its knowledge to all— without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard, yet all the world can hear its echo.
Everywhere its message goes out.”
Psalms 19:1-4 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/psa.19.1-4.TPT
“Look at the splendor of your skies, your creative genius glowing in the heavens.
When I gaze at your moon and your stars, mounted like jewels in their settings, I know you are the fascinating artist who fashioned it all!
But I have to ask this question: Why would you bother with puny, mortal man or care about human beings?
Yet what honor you have given to men, created only a little lower than Elohim, crowned with glory and magnificence.
You have delegated to them rulership over all you have made, with everything under their authority, placing earth itself under the feet of your image-bearers.
All the created order and every living thing of the earth, sky, and sea— the wildest beasts and all that move in the paths of the sea — everything is in submission to Adam’s sons.
Yahweh, our Sovereign God, your glory streams from the heavens above, filling the earth with the majesty of your name!
People everywhere see your splendor!”
Psalms 8:3-9 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/psa.8.3-9.TPT
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.3.15-21.NLT
“Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said.
Hold on to what is good.
Stay away from every kind of evil.
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1th.5.16-23.NLT
May we look ahead in faith that produces action so that when the world looks back on these days, they will see Jesus exalted!
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