Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
I made a quick trip to the Dollar Tree yesterday. As I hunted for all the things on my list, I heard an amazing voice. A woman lifted her voice and sang, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word” This is an old hymn from my childhood. She was loud and proud. I kept trying to find her, but with all the shoppers and the narrow aisles, I couldn’t see her. Have you ever been in the woods and heard a bird sing? You can’t see it, but you can sure hear it? It was like that. Her lilting voice cut through the chatter and people fell silent. For me, it was a glorious reminder to trust in my Jesus.
I don’t know if she deliberately was singing loud enough to be heard all over the store or not. I do know she used the gift of her amazing voice to remind others that we have a Savior named Jesus who we can put our trust in. I don’t know her church affiliation or her race. I do know she loves Jesus and is not afraid to share her trust in Him with others. Maybe she was struggling with some issues of life and needed to remind herself of His goodness. Maybe she just wanted to remind everyone of His love. Again, I don’t know. I do know everyone in the store was affected. The store was so busy yesterday. People were in every aisle. I wish I would have stopped and just looked at the people and their response, but I was so caught up in the uniqueness of it all, I just listened and shopped.
We find ourselves, once again, in an uncertain season. Not only are the Covid numbers rising again, but the division between mandatory vaccine requirements and mask wearing for job requirements is escalating. Our governor has issued mandatory vaccine requirements for all health workers, teachers and staff (both public and private schools) plus mask wearing indoors. Personal choice and decision making seems to be out of our control. If people choose not to get vaccinated and they lose their jobs, what will happen to them? Could our nation be on the verge of protest and rioting against these imposed mandates? Possibly. Do we need to fear? No. Never. Not an option. Tis time to trust in Jesus, take Him at His word, rest in His promise and seek Him like never before. Pray for our leadership. Pray for wisdom for those not vaccinated and for those who are.
Our hearts are burdened for our Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan as the Taliban re-establishes their authority. I read today where each family is supposed to mark an X on their house if they have daughters over the age of 12, so the Taliban can take them. If they don’t and discovered, their entire family could be executed on the spot. I can’t imagine the agony these parents are going through. Many are giving guns to their girls and letting them fight it out or choose to kill themselves. It’s horrendous. Is our God still in control? Yes. But so is the battle. Let us join in prayer for our brothers and sisters. I can only imagine the stories of His intervention that are happening right now as people all over the world intercede.
So it is such a good time to be reminded Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. We must not grow weary in our well doing, but we must continue to seek Him and HIs will. If you differ in your opinions with others, do so with grace and mercy. Seek to understand even if you don’t agree. Seek to walk and live in His peace. Darryl Rodman once said: Peace is a gift from God that establishes our hearts and minds in a confident and assured expectation of His care for us no matter what else is going on. There is definitely a lot going on in our world right now.
Father, Help us. Help those we care about. Help our brothers and sisters in Afganistan and around the world who are suffering from persecution. Strengthen us. Teach us to trust in you, no matter what is going on. We choose to cling to our faith. I pray for those fighting Covid and for their families who are trusting in your power of healing. I pray for those who must choose to lose their jobs or get vaccinated against their will. I ask you to help our leaders find solutions that will not rob us of our freedoms. Father, we need you. Help us trust you and your ways during these tough times. In Jesus Name, amen.
Faith Encounters 