Does it seem like the walls are closing in with all the daily announcements of new strange and threatening occurrences? The looming recession and the escalating grocery bills; the new climate-change virus, Valley Fever expected to spread across the nation in need of yet another vaccine; the Chinese balloons mysteriously floating over North and South America unimpeded; food shortages, supply-chain disruptions, migration explosion, it just goes on….the first word that comes to mind is CHAOS. It’s no wonder so many are escaping into a world of drugs and alcohol. It seems like a place to find some peace, to not have to think about reality for a bit. But, while it may offer some escape, it offers no answers. It requires continual use, eventually just adding more chaos to your life.
In the ‘60’s American psychologist Timothy Leary recommended that everyone should “turn-on, tune-in and drop-out” by way of psychedelic drugs. In the 70’s psychologist Arthur Janov promoted the Primal Scream therapy as a way to relieve all the mental stress and trauma of life. There are a plethora of therapies out there purporting to resolve all our anxieties and, yet, our mental illnesses seem to be multiplying at an enormous rate. What are we to do with all of this anxiety? How do we walk through this valley of dark, looming shadows pressing in on us? Is there a way to prevail that won’t leave us crippled and paralyzed?
Yes, and it’s the ancient source from the beginning of time.The revealed Word of God. The revelation of the meaning of life, the purpose of life and the source of life. Yet, it’s the last place anyone wants to seek answers today. We are not gods, try as we may to elevate ourselves to that position. We cannot recreate a perfect world through legislations and mandates dictating order out of chaos. It has never worked. There will always be rebellion against an autocratic society. It won’t solve the mental illness it will just create new forms of it. History has demonstrated that. The philosopher George Santayana said, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
But, true peace and comfort can be experienced when we ponder the sovereignty of God. When we put all this chaos under his feet, those shallow breaths can go a bit deeper. We can come to understand that he is actively working out his purposes. As the Scriptures have revealed, he is ultimately bringing about that perfect world, as only he can do. We can look up above these walls of shadows and see the light is still there. He is never leaving. This is his world. He created it and he has promised to restore it. From Genesis to Revelation he has revealed his glorious plan of redemption and restoration. Why not take a look? You have nothing to lose but everything to gain if your heart and mind are open to listen. Here are a few of his words:
“God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”
Isaiah 40:22-26 NLT
“Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.”
Psalms 2:1-5 NLT
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”
Revelation 21:1-7 NLT