By Mark Warnock
“In You, I find my dwelling place; No evil shall prevail.”
Moments of crisis are common, both in history and in our own lives, but sometimes many crises hit at once and everything falls apart. In 1918, the world was preoccupied with World War I, which overtook the normal lives of people everywhere as the great powers of the World clashed in a horrible, bloody conflict.
While the war was going on, another crisis arose. A deadly new strain of the influenza virus began to spread all over the world, quietly and barely noticed at first, but then breaking out with astonishing speed and ferocity. The press widely downplayed the pandemic, but as people began to see perfectly healthy young people dropping by the hundreds and thousands before their eyes, unease blossomed into alarm throughout the communities of the world. Even when authorities didn’t admit it, everyone knew the situation was dire. In the end, the Spanish flu of 1918 became the deadliest epidemic the world had ever seen. In some places, as many as 20% of those infected died. Estimates for worldwide deaths range from 20-50 million people, including nearly 700,000 Americans. As if the war wasn’t enough to worry about! It was hard not to be paralyzed by fear in the midst of events like these.
Many people feel that way about our society now: families are broken and hurting everywhere you look; the political conversation is ugly, mean, and divisive; the values and traditions that have stabilized our society are being questioned and even overturned; racial tensions have flared in ways we haven’t seen in many decades; young people are more depressed than ever, struggling to find good jobs and good relationships.
Centuries ago, the Psalmist, facing a time of chaos, asked, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3, NIV).
When faced with a cascade of problems, it is easy to become paralyzed with fear, confusion, and frustration. As the circumstances crash in around you, it can be hard to know what to do. It can be easy to lose hope.
The Psalmist goes on to answer his own question, reassuring himself, “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord is on his heavenly throne” (Ps. 11:4a, NIV).
When it feels like the world is falling apart, God is still in charge. Nothing escapes his notice, and “the upright will see his face” (Ps. 11:7, NIV). The worst circumstances that arise within our communities, our nation, and our world cannot cut us off from our hope in Jesus. The worst social injustices and political crises will cause pain, strife, and frustration for a season, but our confidence rests in the sovereignty of God and the promise that His will shall be done. “When mighty waves come rushing in, my God will prove his strength again.”
Even when you don’t know what to do, you can rest assured that God is sovereign over it all, and at the end of all things, He will have his way. Nations rise and fall, and our problems come and go, but He is watching and will set all things right in the end. We have in Him a secure and unwavering hope.
Question for reflection:
1) What crises in the world or in your life are causing you anxiety right now?
2) If you knew for certain that God saw every detail of these crises, and had a clear plan to deal with it, how would that affect your feelings and your hope?