May the LORD,
the God of Israel,
under whose wings
you have come to take refuge,
reward you fully
for what you have done.
Ruth 2:12
When I finally get to heaven, I want to meet Job—hands down, one of the most flat-out amazing examples of a good man who chose to see God first and his problems second. Oftentimes, I approach God through my problems; which means my ability to see and hear him gets mighty murky. Job’s way is better.
Within a short time, the poor man lost everything that defined his life…wealth, all 10 of his adult children, and finally his personal health. He was blindsided; his good life totally upended through absolutely no fault of his own.
But his immediate response was amazing: he tore his robe in grief; then fell to the ground, and worshiped God.
He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The LORD gave me what I had,
and the LORD has taken it away.
Praise the name of the LORD!”
Job 1:21
Sometime later, Job’s friend, obviously not a trained grief counselor or encourager, had the audacity to say that the kids had been killed as punishment for their sins. It would have been hard for me not to haul off and wallop that friend, or at least, as our family used to say, “pop ‘em with your mouth”.
But all the while, so many important—yet invisible—things were happening in a different realm, away from the earthly stage; things that if known, would have dragged clear understanding of the tragedies out into the open.
Satan was behind the scenes, skulking around God’s heavenly court—just begging God’s permission to “prove” that Job had a price; and could be beaten and broken to the point where he’d finally curse God to His face.
But God knew his man better than Satan did.
And it’s absolutely the same today; our lives get turned completely upside down—very often through no fault of our own—and there are no logical earthly ways to make sense of it all.
But I stand firm, beyond any shadow of any doubt, that God’s still in charge—whether it’s on or off the earthly stage—He’s still got it.
God stretches the northern sky over empty space
and hangs the earth on nothing.
He wraps the rain in his thick clouds,
and the clouds don’t burst with the weight.
He covers the face of the moon,
shrouding it with his clouds.
He created the horizon when he separated the waters;
he set the boundary between day and night.
Job 26:7-10
The LORD loves refugees. He sent His son, Jesus, to enter our flesh and blood world, knowing full well he’d soon be a refugee—a middle-Eastern toddler with his family—fleeing the malicious murderous regime of the day.
Flash forward to a current middle-Eastern toddler with his family—fleeing the malicious murderous regime of the day—and see Aylan’s lifeless little body, face down at water’s edge.
And Jesus tells us:
…if you give even a cup of cold water
to one of the least of my followers,
you will surely be rewarded.
Matthew 10:42
Not one of us has the ability to help everyone, but all of us have the ability to help someone.
The following excerpted from
If you’d like to help Syrian refugees stranded on the Greek Island of Lesvos, see the list below, and mail to:
Hellenic Postal Office of Mythymna
℅ The Captain’s Table
Molyvos 81108, Lesvos, Greece
ITEMS TO SEND for SYRIAN REFUGEES on GREEK ISLAND OF LESVOS:
Sneakers, gym shoes for men, women and children (all sizes) are a HIGH PRIORITY
Sweat pants of all sizes.
Briefs/underwear for men, women and children (all sizes)
Men’s trousers (small, medium and large) and shoes
Baby powder milk
Any non-perishables like nut butters or other long-lasting foods.
Diapers
Feminine products
Sleeping bags
Plastic to cover the floor/for shade
Tents/tarpaulin
Mats (camping or yoga mats)
Hats and caps for sunshade (adults and children/light colors because of the sun)
Electric Plug for multiple devices (European voltage)
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2015/09/5-ways-to-stand-up-be-the-church-in-the-worlds-worst-refugee-crisis-since-world-war-ii/
…Serve the LORD alone.
But if you refuse to serve the LORD,
then choose today whom you will serve.
Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served
beyond the Euphrates?
Or will it be the gods of the Amorites
in whose land you now live?
But as for me and my family,
we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:14-15