He Controls the Course of World Events

He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings. DANIEL 2:21

Even old Nebuchadnezzar was put there by God and when he acted up God put him in his place again, reminding the puny king that he wasn’t in charge.  

These little pawns called presidents and prime ministers are not there by the will of us people but by the will of God.  If God has certain people in power that we perhaps don't agree with then it is to teach us something.  We won't know what that lesson is until it is in the rear view mirror but we must remember that "HE" and  not "he" is in charge.  History is His Story and we are simple bit players in a supporting role of what the true King, JESUS, is up to.  

To walk by faith and not by sight in these situations is to remember that GOD is always working behind the scenes to accomplish a plan that is far greater than human schemes.  There is nothing to worry about.  Jesus reminded us that the Kingdom that we are to seek first is the Kingdom of God and and He will take care of all these little things that we are worried about.  Also remember that sometimes God gives people what they want so they will see what a mess they are without Him.  The Book of Job in the Bible informs me that Jesus tells every lightning bolt where it should go.  If there is a King in charge of the universe who holds molecules and gravity in place and keeps the billions of suns out there burning, including our own, without trying then I can trust Him.  

One friend I was having coffee with was very distressed at the results of the last three elections.  He was very worried about the world and where it is going.  I reminded him of the verse from Daniel that tells us that God put Kings like Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar in place so I think that He can handle Trump and Trudeau and Boris and Vladimir across the pond.  My job is to be a person who lives like Jesus where I live and work and to love the people around me and to pray for those who are in authority.  My prayers do not fall on deaf ears.  God is in charge.  Make yourself a coffee and read Matthew chapter 6.  

You will feel much better about life.  

Onesiphorus

May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me.
2 Timothy 1:16-17

I wanna be like this guy.  Onesiphorus was obliviously a man who was serious about taking care of people.  He searched the prisons in Rome to find Paul, who was in chains there.  Paul was in prison because he dared tell people that Jesus was the way to God.  Paul wrote:

“Christ Jesus, our Savior broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it...”
2 Timothy 1:10,12

So Paul would be in prison in Rome for the rest of his life and eventually be beheaded for his missionary work there.  Paul mentions that most Christians abandoned him and gave up on him and would not visit him.  They were probably afraid that if they visited Paul in prison Rome would arrest them because they too were Christ followers.  But not Onesiphorus.  This guy had the love of Christ for Paul to fuel his courage and he went to Rome looking for Paul.  Who knows how many holding cells he had to search for Paul.  But he did until he found Paul.

That “going-out-of-your-way” and willingness to risk your own reputation and your own life is the kind of love that Jesus had for us and once Onesiphorus had experienced that love he had the same love for his brother Paul—and risked it all to find him.  And that kind of love is what kept Paul going.   And here, immortalized in the words of scripture, we see the power of that kind of friendship.

LORD, give us that kind of love.  The love of Christ shown in the love of Onesiphorus.

‘Nuff Said.

Searching

Billy Graham tells the story of one girl who came home from college.  When she got home she told her wealthy father, “Dad, I want something, but I don’t know what it is.”  Isn’t that true of yourself?  There is an aching emptiness inside of you that is something like that feeling when you’re really hungry.  Or you are just plain restless and flit from one high searching for the next.

The Dawn Wall is an excellent documentary on Netflix right now.  It is about Tommy Caldwell and his amazing free climb up El Capitan—as Tommy neared the end of his record breaking climb up the massive 3,000 foot high cliff he mentioned that it was bittersweet.  Here he had finished such an amazing feat and still there was an emptiness inside.

I have friends with so much money that they can literally do anything they want—but after every purchase and every holiday they are online searching for the next purchase on Amazon and the next cruise because all the exotic trips in the world cannot fill the God-shaped hole in the human heart.

In Psalm 23 David wrote, “I have found it!  I am lacking nothing.”  Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am in to be content.”  What did these people have that satisfied their souls?

It was Jesus.

He is the perpetual novelty.  As you get to know him you will find that He is endless in his soul-satisfying love and power. His Spirit will give you peace and once you know He is enough your soul will be content.  I have to go to Him and the Good News about Him every day.  When I do I find that I am at peace.  When I do not go to the well that never runs dry I too find myself lacking.  He is enough.  The truth about Him in the Bible is life to my soul.  “You can have God’s peace, God’s joy, God’s security and once you’ve made His life your own you can be satisfied” (Billy Graham).

Read these lyrics from a song by Casting Crowns called Come to the Well:

I have what you need
But you keep on searching
I’ve done all the work
But you keep on working
When you’re running on empty
And you can’t find the remedy
Just come to the well
You can spend your whole life
Chasin’ What’s missing
But that empty inside

It just ain’t gonna listen
When nothing can satisfy
And the world leaves you high and dry
Just come to the well

And all who thirst will thirst no more
And all who search will find what their souls long for
The world will try,  but it will never fill
Leave it all behind, and come to the well

So bring me your heart
No matter how broken
Just come as you are
When your last prayer is spoken
Just rest in my arms awhile
You’ll feel the change my child
When you come to the well.

And now that you’re full
Of Love beyond measure
Your joy’s gonna flow
Like a stream in the desert
Soon all the world will see that living weather is found in me
‘Cause you came to the well

And all who thirst will thirst no more
And all who search will find what their souls long for
The world will try,  but it will never fill
Leave it all behind, and come to the well

Leave it all behind, and come to the well

1. 
   

1. 
   

   
   

   Leave it all behind

   
   

   I have what you need
   But you keep on searchin'
   I've done all the work
   But you keep on workin'
   When you're runnin' on empty
   And you can't find the remedy
   Just come to the well

   You can spend your whole life
   Chasin' what's missing
   But that empty inside
   It just ain't gonna listen
   When nothing can satisfy
   And the world leaves you high and dry
   Just come to the well

   
   

1. 
   

   
   

   When nothing can satisfy

   
   

   And the world leaves you high and dry
   Just come to the well

   
   

   And all who thirst will thirst no more
   And all who search will find what their souls long for
   The world will try, but it can never fill
   Leave it all behind, and come to the well

   
   

   So bring me your heart
   No matter how broken
   Just come as you are
   When your last prayer is spoken
   Just rest in my arms a while
   You'll feel the change my child
   When you come to the well

   And all who thirst will thirst no more
   And all who search will find what their souls long for
   The world will try, but it can never fill
   So leave it all behind, and come to the well

   Yeah
   Leave it all behind

   The world will try, but it can never fill, leave it all behind

   And now that you're full
   Of love beyond measure
   Your joy's gonna flow
   Like a stream in the desert
   Soon all the world will see that living water is found in me
   'Cause you came to the well

   And all who thirst will thirst no more
   And all who search will find what their souls long for
   The world will try, but it can never fill
   So leave it all behind, and come to the well

   Leave it all behind, leave it all behind
   Leave it all behind, leave it all behind, and come to the well