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Devotion for Thursday, May 14
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8: 28
Today (Monday) is one of those days when you hardly know what to expect. One minute it's raining, the next minute it's sleeting, and then just a few minutes later, the sun is out. I made a pot of soup today and was trying to take some of it to a neighbor who lives alone, and every time the sun came out, I packed up and reached for my jacket, and just that quickly, the sky darkened and the rain/sleet started again. Finally, I made a mad dash for her house around 4 o'clock and I actually made it back before the next round! Lucky me!
I don't know about you, but I see a parallel here to what can only be described as one of the main dilemmas (maybe THE greatest dilemma!) of human life. We never quite know what's coming next. Sometimes we get surprised in a GOOD way, but often the surprise turns our world upside down.
Just a few months ago, we were beginning to hear that Covid-19 had spread to the U.S. And by mid-March, schools were beginning to close, and almost overnight, we were on "lockdown" and life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. Just a week or so before that, none of us would ever have imagined such a scenario.
I have to imagine that the Disciples must have had similar thoughts and feelings over the last days and weeks leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Right before Palm Sunday, Jesus and the Disciples went to Jericho where Jesus' healed two blind men and then he ate with a rich tax collector named Zacchaeus. After that, they traveled to Bethany and stayed with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Then it was on to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. All of these events were somewhat "ordinary" events in the lives of Jesus and the twelve, and I'm sure that none of them had an inkling regarding what would transpire in only a matter of days.
Life certainly has a way of turning on a dime.
Feeling out of control is never a pleasant or happy thing. We've all been there, probably many times over. And with God's help, we've all come out of it on the other side as stronger and better people. The reality is that we're going to come out of the current Covid crisis stronger and better too. Remember, ALL things work together for good for those who love God. We can count on it.
Pastor Janice
Prayer: God, we know that you are the One through whom all good things come. Teach us how to see all of the circumstances in our lives not through our human eyes, but through YOUR eyes. And help us to remember that, thanks to you, there is always a silver lining in all of our troubles. In Christ's name. Amen.
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