Isaiah 30:15
The holy Lord God of Israel
had told all of you,
“I will keep you safe
if you turn back to me
and calm down.
I will make you strong
if you quietly trust me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Earlier today, Greg and I watched CBS Sunday Morning, which featured several segments regarding the immigration crisis at our nation’s southern border. One “data point” noted that if every unemployed American took a job, we would still have over 4 million open jobs. I looked at Greg and asked, “Why can we send a man to the moon, but we cannot figure out the solution to this problem?” His answer was…“Because ‘we’ don’t want to.” And he is so right! The hatred and selfishness in this country – and the world at large – has run rampant.
We don’t want to get along with the other guy. Like a petulant 3-year-old, we don’t want to share. Yesterday, we had a birthday lunch for our oldest nephew. His mother was looking through a box of toys and found a string of skulls. Since Halloween is her favorite holiday, she expressed great interest in these as a “swag” for decorating. I told her that Nathan and I bought those at a thrift store when he was three, and he still plays with them. Greg said, “I think she wants them!” I told my niece she had better consult her youngest son first…and she said, “I’d better leave them here.”
Honestly, I think that Nathan would probably be glad to give this decoration to his mother. But so many people in countless situations do not want to give an inch – or share anything with anyone else – including the love of Christ! We find dozens of ways to discriminate and isolate…and quite frankly, I am just done with it. Yesterday, the Arkansas United Methodist Conference ratified the disaffiliation of 67 churches in our state. A United Methodist pastor remarked online to a woman from one of those congregations that she and others who chose to stay were “in a great position to start something new.” Honestly, some are so weary and beaten down from the ugliness and heartache of all this that I am not sure they have the energy to rebuild – at least not yet. And that’s okay.
Before you take me to task and remind me that “with God, all things are possible,” read this verse in Isaiah 30 again. I hear God telling me to take a breath, calm down, and sit quietly with Him for a while. I hear God saying, “Step away from the division and hatred, and trust Me to guide your next steps.” Perhaps if more people on both sides of the issues of racism, bigotry, hatred, sexism, and discrimination of all kinds took a breath and sat quietly with God, His answers might become clearer. Rather than propel us forward willy-nilly…or heaven forbid, move ahead with the insistence that we are right, and the other guy is wrong – perhaps we should sit quietly and let our Master tell us what to do next.
I realize that some issues like the border crisis are pressing and all but demand an instant response. Still, there is no harm in taking a breath and asking God to determine the next steps. And in some situations, it may take a little longer for God to straighten us out and get us going in the direction He desires. Let’s not be afraid to do the work. Let’s not hesitate to sit quietly with God and put our trust in Him. Let’s turn back to God and calm down…and give Him plenty of room to work. Alleluia!
©2023 Debbie Robus
Daily Devo Time 