July 2021
Happy 4th of July! I’ve been in Arizona for 15 years and it still seems surreal that humans can actually live in the desert, especially when temps surpass 115 degrees before July 1. Thank goodness for air conditioning, siestas and fudgesicles.
In a strange way I find comfort in the fact that Arizona summers are still miserably hot. If nothing else, this is a reminder there are still some “constants” in this world. I’m not sure if you have noticed, but in March of 2020 the world shifted and, in one way or another, every one of us has been affected. For some, the last 15 months have been full of loss – jobs, way of life, people we love, finances, or confidence that we have things under control. For others, it has been a season of being overwhelmed with too much work, too much stress and not enough help or supplies to get in front of the curve. For me, I used to feel resilient and strong. I was ready to conquer anything. Now, I am not so sure. I feel a bit unmoored.
I have changed.
People have changed.
Communities have changed.
Our nation has changed.
The world has changed.
But not God. He is still the ONE true God. The more I spend time with Him, the less confused I feel. As Tom would say, “What you know trumps what you feel.” Which is exactly right. What I know is God. “My hope is rooted in the character of God, the promises of God, the sovereignty of God and the faithfulness of God.”
What I don’t know is what tomorrow will bring as I wait for the next shoe to drop. And that is unnerving. Yet, maybe, just maybe, this past year was exactly what was needed to be more dependent on Him and really LIVE out our faith by immediately responding to His promises and commands. And now, it is time to step out and be a “doer” of His word, living confidently because God has saved us, changing our destination from hell to heaven and our designation from sinner to saint.
In Tom’s series in the book of James, Tom did a message entitled, “Faith Without Works is Dead.” Salvation is a gift from God to man and we don’t need to “earn” it, but then, as a response to God’s grace, we GET to show those around us how God has made us new.
Think about that.
How would your micro-world look differently if you really and truly lived out your faith?
Do you live confidently knowing He has taken care of your every need?
God the Father. God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He has not changed.
His promises have not changed.
His love for us has not changed.
His provision, His daily bread, has not changed.
His Sovereignty has not changed.
God’s truth is exactly what we need as we navigate the new normal of 2021. Let’s show the world in tangible ways how our faith in Jesus sets us apart. I dare you.