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When The World Falls Apart


 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" (Matthew 14:30)

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." (John 15: 18-20)  

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)


           As we look at the world around us, whether it is a global, a national, a local or a personal situation, it's easy to get confused and distracted. It's easy to focus on the circumstances, instead of the Lord of those circumstances. Yesterday was a simple, small example. It involved a trip to the emergency room in the middle of the night and a car inspection scheduled for 9 am, with my foot surgery less than two weeks before. I showed up at the inspection station early with loaded down purse, lap top computer, a notebook for use if the computer was available  and crutches because my foot was already tired. The nice service coordinator asked for my license, insurance and registration. The license was easy. The insurance was easy. Then I found an old insurance form, but no registration. I searched through my purse. I went back to my car and searched my glove compartments. No registration. I went through it all again. Nothing. Again. Nada.
          By this point, I was starting my standard whine, "Lord, PLEASE. I can't handle this right now. Come on, Lord." Frustrated, I gave up and went in to get my other paperwork back and cancel the appointment. As I picked up my insurance form, I glanced at the old insurance form, and noticed they didn't quite look the same. They had the same colors, but... the old insurance form was my registration. They inspected the car, I went to my next back to the hospital and tried to pull into a nonpublic parking lot. Seeing that error I backed out onto the street, I thought, and hit a telephone pole.
          The Lord of those small circumstances is the same Lord who allows us to face other small circumstances, and big circumstances. He allows us to face valleys of the shadow of doubt. He allows us to face the trouble. He allows us to face a world that hates us. He allows us to face natural disasters, small and big. He is still the Lord of them all. There are reasons that we may not know  or understand, but He has told us not only that we will face them, but that we can face them with courage ("I will fear no evil") and peace ("so that in me you may have peace") because we trust that He is Lord and that He will not abandon us even when the world falls apart.

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