A Word About Strife

 

If Classic State of Mind is about anything at all, it’s about what’s ruminating around in my head at any particular moment in time. My hope is that the thoughts rattling around in my head will also resonate with those who are listening. Often, whatever I’m thinking about or pondering will find expression in the pages of my journal.

 

I read back through some of my  journal entries from several months ago, this morning. It seems to me that time is short. You may have noticed the strife in this world in recent days. Here’s what I wrote several months ago:

 

“For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.” (Ps. 113:4)

 

The world is reeling, today. Not just here in the U.S., but around the globe. There have been, of course, other seasons when circumstances were dire. But I sense the Lord’s appearing is close at hand. I suspect that there will be a continual collapse of governments and global economies; Israel will remain in the news, too, as this world and its systems oppose the favored people of God.

But I do not see how in this wicked world, the Lord, who is infinitely patient, can stay his hand much longer. To say that ‘The time is short’ is true, but it’s difficult to quantify. How long is ‘short?’ I do not know. No one knows, except God. I am only certain that with the tick of every second, I am one moment closer to God’s final curtain on the drama of life. How important it is for me to ‘walk circumspectly and redeem the time, because the days are evil.’ The Apostle Paul wrote that. He noticed that the world he lived in was marked by evil influences, moral decay, and spiritual darkness. Nothing much has changed since he wrote those words to the Ephesians. 

I find great solace in the reality that God is ‘in and over all things.’ If I didn’t believe that, I’d probably worry myself to death. But God is in control, not the rulers of this world. The Bible over and over again declares that God is sovereign—He has authority, power, and control over all creation. He is not only the Creator but also the Ruler who sustains, governs, and directs all things according to His purpose and will. Psalm 103:19: “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

What shall I do, today, then? How shall I walk down the streets of this wicked and lost world? Walk circumspectly, says The Book. Your head swivels for a reason, Ken Jones. Look around. Pay attention. Time is short, and getting shorter every moment.

O Lord,

Your favor is what I long for,
Your touch upon my life.
Help me rise above the turmoil,
Give me peace, amid the strife.
May I have a servant’s hearing,
As you speak to me, today.
And in the midst of shadows,
Let me see your Light, I pray.

“For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.” (Ps. 113:4)