An awful lot has gone on in the last couple of weeks. We, as a church family, have lost people we dearly love. We are comforted that they have entered the presence of God, yet we grieve our loss. Others in our church family have experienced the passing of loved ones, some of our folks have endured hospital stays, others have waited for medical procedures and/or have dealt with the frustration of signing up for the COVID vaccine. Add to that the political turmoil/in-fighting that plagues our nation, the increasing divide socially, politically, racially and morally and it’s a mess! Top all that off with the news on Saturday that just a few miles west of us, a family of four was found dead in their home. A husband and wife along with their two children, ages 4 and 2, dead from an apparent murder suicide. The week before a body was found in Chandler Park. A 54-year-old women was murdered, her body stripped and then discard like a piece of trash. What are we to make of all this? How are we to respond? It is enough to cause one to question. “Where is God in all of this?” “How does this happen in our community?” The short answer is these are the wages of sin. This is what happens in a fallen, sin-cursed world. Sin has consequences and our faith does not make us immune from those consequences. The promise of our God is not that we will be delivered from the evils of this world but that we will be delivered through the trials of this life. It’s not that we will not face trials and struggles but that we will not face them alone.
In the face of such trials, we must cling to our faith. We must look to Christ our Deliverer and trust Him to get us home safely. This is why our Lord instructed His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount to build their house upon the rock, a solid foundation, so that when the storms rose and beat against the house, they would stand firm. There’s no promise that we will escape “damage.” Depending on the strength and type of storm, there may be damage. A few missing shingles or perhaps a window needs replacing, but the house remains. Sometimes the storms shake us to the point we wonder if we will stand. After such storms it’s good to check the foundation. Make sure the connection is strong and the structure has not shifted. Storms are often impressive (read that as threatening and frightening) but more impressive is our foundation. For our foundation cannot be moved! As the storm winds increase and the rains begin to fall rest on your sure and certain foundation knowing He never fails.
That’s what was on my mind this morning. I hope to see you and your family as we gather for worship this coming Lord’s Day.
Rod