2009, Optimism, and a Topsy-Turvy World tagged: , , , , , , , ,

2009, Optimism, and a Topsy-Turvy World

Posted by in Bible & Theology

It is easy to be a little pessimistic as this New Year dawns. Can there be any doubt that the inauguration of a new president will bring a shift in the political breezes in our nation? The challenges of the first six months of his presidency may make Mr. Obama wonder if John McCain was the real winner. Who knows whether the stock market will continue to sink like a rock or will start its rebound? People are unsettled and uncertain about the future of our economy, about their jobs or their financial security. And there seems to be no evidence of a return to traditional morality in the near future. Closer to home, our denomination continues to be embroiled in controversy and appears to be stuck in the statistical mud.

It is easy for us to let the general pessimism of the world bleed into our attitudes and outlook as the people of God. We sometimes forget that the divine economy does not necessarily run in sync with our earthly markets and the interests of the Kingdom are not absolutely identified with the interests of our nation. I am so quick to let hardships in the world make me fearful and faithless about the work God has given me to do.

As 2009 begins, I would like to remind the readers of SBC Impact (which I am thrilled and excited to be a part of now) of a couple of stories from the Bible, and one verse which I am so prone to forget.

The last few chapters of the book of Judges are bleak. Israel “had no king and everyone did as he saw fit” – a divine indictment that sounds eerily familiar in our day. The nation that was freed by the miracles of Exodus, preserved by God’s faithfulness during the Wilderness Wanderings, ushered into the Promised Land through the Jordan River and given victory over the Canaanites by the powerful hand of the Living God, was now spiritually bankrupt. If a movie were made depicting the events of Judges 17-21, it would be rated NC-17 and rightly condemned in every pulpit in America. Israel seemed inexorably destined for the dust heap of history.

It is easy to forget that when Judges closes and Israel was at the nadir of its existence it was less than a century from its zenith under the reign of King David. God had plans which no one knew about at the time and which defied logic. None of the commentators on HTV (Hebrew Television) would have forecast what lay ahead. But God’s sovereign hand would confound the experts and send Israel to its greater days.

Think about another time, many centuries later. The disciples huddled in an upper room wondering what the future held. Jesus had amazed them all by being raised from the dead. He taught them for forty days and then unexpectedly departed into heaven. They were left to wonder what the future held. If you look at the question asked in Acts 1:6 it is clear that to the very end, the disciples had no understanding of the purposes of Jesus. “Are you now going to restore the kingdom?” they asked. They still expected Jesus to raise an army, chase out the Romans and establish himself as King of Israel. Now, Jesus was gone and they were confused. No one knew what the future held and I am sure their prayers called out for wisdom and understanding.

Then, one morning, a sound of a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire changed everything. God came down in power and the church was born. God did something that surprised everyone. Imagine the horror of the religious leaders who thought that by crucifying Jesus they could crush him. Instead, they set in motion the events that changed the world forever.

When life is confusing, topsy-turvy, bewildering and mystifying, we can still be confident that God is at work. When Israel was at its lowest point, God was preparing their greatest days for them. When the disciples were wallowing in confusion, God was about to bring heaven down at Pentecost. Whatever happens in this world, we can hold on to confidence in our amazing God regardless of how the world is falling apart around us.

Now for our passage of the day. John 14:12-14 says:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

This passage has many theological issues which I do not intend to deal with today. I just want to reflect on the simplest devotional truth it teaches. We do not worship only the God of the past. He is also the God of the future. Let the simple, clear teaching of this passage inform your view of the future.

God intended for us to do “greater works” than even the Son did while he was on earth. Do not be discouraged about the difficult conditions in this world. We are not dependent on this world’s circumstances for our joy, our peace or our victory. We depend on the power of God and it is not diminished by the events of our world.

Things in our world may be as depraved as they were in the days of the Judges, but God could be preparing a day of glory ahead. We may be as confused about the future as the disciples were, but perhaps God is preparing to do something new and wonderful. And even if he is not preparing revival, we can still know that God is in control. He will sustain us in difficult days and empower us for whatever lies ahead.

I am a pessimist by nature. Like Puddleglum in C.S. Lewis’s “The Silver Chair” I like to envision the worst and hope for the best. But I have no right to be a pessimist when I serve the Living God of Israel. The God of the Bible can do a mighty work even in the darkest of times.

Here’s to a wonderful new year in which God does a few of his “greater works” in each of us. Happy New Year!