I
cleaned out my garage,
now what?
Like
me, many of you have started home projects, like cleaning out the garage,
closets and pantries. Or maybe it was something like putting a fresh coat of
paint in that room that needed it. I even went into our game closet and found
some puzzles that had never been worked. I pulled them out; currently they are
still in the box.😄 Cleaning and
organizing gives us a sense of control over something and also a sense of
accomplishment.
But
Now
What?
What
do we do now? We find ourselves in what many are calling a “new normal.” It was
fine for a few days, after all, if it hadn’t had happened, your garage would
still need cleaning out! However, in reality, it’s a normal that we hope
doesn’t last long but we just don’t know, or can’t define long. We first heard
15 days; we now know it will be more. We are isolated, maybe you are by
yourself, maybe you are with just your immediate family and maybe with a
limited supply of toilet paper! Eventually, even the introverts will go crazy!
The extroverts went into a fetal position as soon as we heard the mandate to
isolate, actually that happened when we were told not to hug. Suddenly our very
freedoms that were a fabric of our lives are gone. This happens in other
countries, not ours.
If
we are honest with ourselves, many of us are scared. Scared for yourselves and
worried for your loved ones. We hope and pray they won’t get sick and that we
can see them soon. And it is not just for health that we worry, there are the
financial implications. Businesses are shut down, no paychecks are coming in. Anxiety
has kicked in. So, what now?
As
Christians, we are not supposed to worry or be scared, which causes us then to
feel guilty when we do become worried or scared. All of those emotions are
normal. Jesus knows you have them. And He doesn’t condemn you, but He doesn’t
want you to stay there. He is here to give you hope. A hope that is sure and
confident. “This hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast” Hebrews 6:19.
So
what do we do? We turn our eyes upon Jesus, we ask the Lord to open our eyes
that we may see Him. There is an event in the Old Testament, in the book of 2
Kings. Elisha, a prophet of God, and his servant are surrounded by the horses
and chariots and great army of the king of Aram
(Syria
When the servant of the
man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and
chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” (In my words, “what
now?”) the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are
more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then
the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills
full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17
Elisha
lived in the calm sense of God's immediate presence. This was the secret of his
power. He asked the Lord that his servant’s eyes would also be open to see the
power of the Lord! And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes to see His power, His
chariots of fire! Let’s ask the Lord for our eyes to be open. If we live continually in
the sense of God's protecting presence, what calm power there will be in our
lives!
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that
you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his
glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and
his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18
♪ Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You
To see you high and lifted up
Shinin’ in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy ♪
