I do not want a discussion and to start a fight on different opinions of what is going on in the world, we are all given minds and choices and we have the ability to have different opinions, that is okay. Mine shows up in this blog, not to sway your belief but to give you a picture into my life
Have you ever felt like God has just slapped you across the face? I know that is pretty extreme, but sometimes when I feel convicted I feel like the Lord is hitting me, yelling “WAKE UP”!!
About a month ago, I was sitting in bible study and God did just exactly that!
It has been a hard year, there is no denying that. It has been lonely, depressing and every time you turn any kind of media on death and case rates are being thrown into your face. There is no escaping the craziness that is going on in our world right now.
No matter how you feel about this ‘pandemic’ that is going on, it has affected you in some kind of way.
What is going on is crazy, and as the year progresses the more I see that there is something bigger going on than a virus. Do I know exactly what? No. Have people died from COVID? Yes! Are there multiple families that have been directly affected by COVID? Yes. Is this a disease? Yes.
But as I look at this a little deeper and hear different sides of the story, I can see that the plan is bigger than keeping us safe. I hear talk of a Great Reset, by our very own Prime Minister, I hear talk of governments working together, talk about getting rid of cash. My mind goes back to the times I have studied the book of Revelations fervently. It is like I am watching it come to life before my very own eyes. One world government, cashless societies, talk of microchipping people. It is all so crazy and one by one my dreams, my life, the path I thought the Lord and I had planned together is shattered.
If the world is just going to end and Jesus is going to come back, why even think about what I have desired my whole life. But, Jesus, I want to get married, I want a family, remember those dreams you gave me. I was going to live my life serving and making that dream a reality for you! Persecution, Christian persecution, is coming and oh Lord that is scary! I could go on, but you get the point. It is like my will to do anything right now is slowly dwindling. I stress and I see that these things may never happen.
“Behold, I am coming as a thief.” Rev 16:15
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24:36
Jesus is coming back, that is no secret, you can read it in the Bible all over the place. Nobody knows when that day will come, but I do know one thing that the world is going to get worse, before it gets better. I always thought I won’t be here for that time and maybe I won’t be and this whole ‘pandemic’ will end and life will go back to normal, but I can see that fear shines through and my thoughts run wild.
But thank goodness I serve an awesome loving God, who so lovingly slaps me and tells me to wake up. Get out of your victim mindset and see what is really happening. In all honesty I should be ecstatic that Jesus is coming soon. I shouldn’t be sad that all the things that I have planned, dreamed and desired may not come to fruition. I may have to grieve those things, I grieve what used to be normal everyday and I know that is okay, but I shouldn’t wish that Jesus withhold his coming back so I can have this dreamed up life I have made. Wow, how selfish am I? This virus, may not be the end of the world, all that I have planned and dream of still very well may happen, but our world is changing every day and I have to make that decision every day that God is better than any plans I have. I have to choose to sit down and spend time with him, because my relationship with Him is the most important thing to uphold.
In reality if I want to live for God, I need to live ready, ready for him to return at any moment, because a life with Him is better than any life I could ever dream up here on Earth. God reminded me of that and he brought me back to a lesson he taught me 2 years ago, you can read about it in a blog I wrote here. I need not to worry about missing out on life, on moments, but I need to fear on missing out on a life with God, because I know and I have experienced it. Life with him is an adventure and I do not want to lose sight of that. Everyday I take risks, waking up healthy every day is something to be grateful of. I have been risking my life for the past 27 years and I am not going to let the fear that this virus has had stop me from living life abundantly.
God is still alive and well and as my Pastor said, God does not work for COVID, COVID works for God.
As much as there seems to be pure chaos and loss in this world, I know God is seeing the overarching plan in it all. I read the bible and I can see God’s plan continuously on display, but the people writing those stories, they couldn’t. They had to trust that God’s plan was going to work out for them. I can’t imagine what it felt like on that Friday, the man who was supposed to come and rescue them, save them from their circumstances being beaten and crucified like a criminal. What devastation they must have felt. That Saturday was long, really long. It probably felt like the world had stopped, how could the Messiah die like that? How could He leave us? In all reality, we read that and we know, Jesus comes back. It was for the greater purpose, but what about living through that? It would have been so hard. Saturday is long, but the hope comes on Sunday. The whole purpose of Jesus coming to Earth was for that very moment. He bore all of our sins, He felt them all up on that cross, imagine that burden. He did it to fulfill His father, our fathers plans. The overarching plan. Because of that plan we get to have eternal life, what an amazing thing.
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” Matthew 5:17-18
This year has been long, this is our Saturday. It has been 10 months long and it is still going, when that clock strikes midnight and a new year begins our Saturday isn’t going to end. It will keep going until we see the light. Until we get to see the plan in it all. We may never know until we get to heaven, but I can tell you one thing. Sunday is coming. Hope will be restored. God is still on the throne. He still loves us. We must trust that. Keep the hope, keep pressing into him and keep spreading his joy.
It has been a tough year, and trust me I have struggled, but I have still experienced God’s provision, I have seen answered prayers. He is still guiding me, and he is still telling me to chase after those dreams, but I must keep him at the forefront. Stop being selfish.
Two of my favourite songs have brought these reminders to me. Listen to them and just let God speak to you. What does he have in mind for you? Where have you shut him out this year? Where do you need to shift those priorities?
Jesus is coming back and I am ready to see Him. Are you?
