Tongues Of Fire And A Mighty Winds.

I was lying in my warm comfortable bed this morning watching the tree, out my window, moving with a mighty wind.

And I began to think of all the storms that have moved across the mid-west these past several weeks. Thunder, and lightening, and turbulent wind currents that swiftly moved upon the earth.

And I thought of the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God brought tongues of fire and a mighty wind across Jerusalem.  Clearing the fickle minds of Jesus’ disciples with a clarity as never before.

The lightening in last nights sky certainly looked to me like tongues of fire.

And I thought: ‘Maybe God was sending his Spirit into the minds of His people this summer.’ 

‘Maybe the Holy Spirit has come to bring clarity to this mislead nations confusion.'

And I felt a smile come to my lips. 

⁶ The Lord works vindication

   and justice for all who are oppressed. 

The truth is, we never know when God is going to act.

We are most always unaware, mentally, of what and how God moves in, through, around and within us — within our world.

¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul,

   and all that is within me,

   bless his holy name……

⁶ The Lord works vindication

   and justice for all who are oppressed. 

⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,

   his acts to the people of Israel. 

⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,

   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

⁹ He will not always accuse,

   nor will he keep his anger for ever. 

¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,

   nor repay us according to our iniquities. 

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,

   so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him; 

¹² as far as the east is from the west,

   so far he removes our transgressions from us. 

¹³ As a father has compassion for his children,

   so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. 

¹⁴ For he knows how we were made;

   he remembers that we are dust. (Ps. 103)

Fear

“….most people are most afraid of things they don’t understand, and if something frightens you, you should get closer to it.  That didn’t mean it wouldn’t still be an awful thing, but the awful you knew was easier to handle than the awful you imagine” (William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land, p. 5-6) 

Wise words from a very young man.

I find that young minds have an amazing way of knowing about life in the most astounding ways.

One of my favorite movies is 'Defending Your Life.'  It is about fears that people grow up with.

There has always been this certain control, people live with, through the centuries.  Fears that are real and those that are not.

Fear has great power that often times disables us.

In 2020 we are a nations who lives in fear both of an impossible pandemic, as well as fear of politics, that has muddied the air we breathe; and what we are being conditioned to think and believe.

Most people just don’t want to think about it.

They don’t want to deal with what seems uncontrollable.

Neither do I.

However I also don’t want to be controlled, and limited, by what I don’t like, or can’t help, or am fearful of.

So I have learned to hold on to one solid thing: My trust in God’s activity in all that I see as impossible to deal with.

God’s presence in my life, and in our world, brings me peace.

The only real, and honest prayers, I can speak is: “Please Help!” and “Thank You.”

There is nothing else to say; because God is the only one who knows best about people and viruses.

Reread Isaiah 43.

   Amen. Let it be so.

"Do not fear, for I am with you;"

I was watching the hurricane destruction on last evening news.  I just bowed my head and prayed what I did not know how to pray.

I told God I was unable to pray about such awful destruction, such personal loss.

        Damaged lives,

          damaged homes, 

             damaged electrical systems,   

                agricultural fields once planted with such hope.

And so much more I don’t even know about a hurricane’a violent process.

I just prayed for it all and left it with God.

Then again this morning I felt distressed with the words of the President last night.

And I prayed.

Realising those two event actually overshadowed the pandemic of Covid-19.

And I prayed.

It has been a heavy morning for my heart.

Then I got up, to pour myself another cup of coffee, and I was reminded again of God’s promise: 

But now thus says the Lord,

   he who created you, O Jacob,

   he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

   I have called you by name, you are mine. 

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

   and the flame shall not consume you. 

³ For I am the Lord your God,

   the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.

I give Egypt as your ransom,

   Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 

⁴ Because you are precious in my sight,

   and honored, and I love you,

I give people in return for you,

   nations in exchange for your life. 

⁵ Do not fear, for I am with you;

   I will bring your offspring from the east,

   and from the west I will gather you; 

⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,

   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;

bring my sons from far away

   and my daughters from the end of the earth— 

⁷ everyone who is called by my name,

   whom I created for my glory,

   whom I formed and made.’ (Isaiah 43)

All we ever have, after all is said and done, in the end to be enough.

⁵ Do not fear, for I am with you;