Global turmoil is close by. But two scriptures have taken my attention.
The first assures me that when we do not know what to do, the best way to start is to tell the Lord that we don't know what to do! And not to be ashamed of saying so in front of the family and congregation. When we do, the Lord will find His way to show us what to do - sometimes we just need to stand still and trust that the Lord will fight for us.
The second says that God will use what we have if we use it as He says. He knows what He’s doing, and when we cooperate with Him, He achieves His purpose - to His glory.
Please read through these texts and meditate on them this month as a Lent reflection:
2 Chronicles 20:9, 12-15 - Our weakness and God's strength
"If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.”
"... for we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, ... as he stood in the assembly.
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s."
Exodus 4:1-5 - What we have and what God does with it
Moses answered, ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, “The LORD did not appear to you”?’
Then the LORD said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’
‘A staff,’ he replied.
The LORD said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the LORD said to him, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.’ So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. ‘This,’ said the LORD, ‘is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has appeared to you.’
In other words, when we do not know how to stand amidst the turmoil, we are only safe if we stand in the Lord.
How will the Lord achieve His purpose? Sometimes He only wants us to stand back and let Him work. Often He will choose to use what He has already given to us - and He will tell us how to use it.
Christians, who trust the Lord, understand that He already knows how to bring His answer. He will use whatever method He chooses; and He expects us to be willing to cooperate with Him in using whatever He has given us, when He commands.
Our work in praying for the BeaconLight ministries is as significant as those who work in writing, printing, publishing, and distributing Christian literature. Many people will receive God’s Word through BeaconLight, but the real ministry does not stop there. Only the Lord is able to take what we have done to change hearts to produce the changes that He intends.
Most of the time, we in BeaconLight have no idea what God is doing in the many thousands of people who receive our books, emails, Apps or on the web! But God does!
As we pray and cooperate with Him, His Word arrives at the right place and time - for Him to use it to turn people from darkness to light, making them like Christ.