Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”- 2 Samuel 7:22
“How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!”- Psalm 92:5
Insight: We live in an age of disagreement and polarization, especially when it comes to politics. Sometimes, it feels like the world is just one big Jerry Springer show, where people use the impersonal communication tools of the day like social media to just yell at each other from our various platforms, never even considering the fact there is another living human being with all their fears and frailties on the other side of that connection. But the one thing I think we can all agree on is that we are living in anxious times. The whole world is anxious about many things, and rightfully so. We come right out of a two plus year health crisis in the form of a global pandemic and now right into a shocking war with atrocities flashing across our media channels on a daily basis that leave us numb to evil that exists in this world to do harm to others. If that’s not enough, we have a full blown energy crisis in most places and are beginning to see the ravaging effects of inflation on food prices as global input costs make the cost of farming and food production soar across much of the globe. So, we rightfully must ask ourselves where can we go to find a refuge in these anxiety storms that are plaguing us right now? As always, the only truthful and sustaining answers are found in the promises of God’s word and in His mighty strength to uphold us and give us perspective in the middle of the storm.
We can find the antidotes for anxiety through many different outlets that speak to us through the manifestation of real life stories, biblical passages, or worship songs that get us back to focusing on and trusting in the Lord, and taking our eyes off of our situations and back on His magnificence and strength. Yesterday, I heard a story of a first grader on the radio that did just that for me. The assignment for the class was simple: draw a picture of what you think God looks like on a piece of paper provided by the teacher. One student left that page blank. When the teacher asked why, the student simply said “God is too big to fit onto a page.” What an incredibly insightful answer that helped me to instantly redefine my problems. I was anxious about many things because I had subconsciously made God too small, which in turn made my worries seem really big. In an instant, my world and my anxieties were completely changed by the perspective of a 6 year old on the radio. God is huge! That thought is a great antidote for our anxiety as King David was so keenly aware of. He praised God’s power and majesty in his Psalms, such as Psalm 8:1-4 that reminds us “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
When anxiety besieges us, we must remember to run to scripture. But God can also speak to us through a 6 year old child on the radio. Our job is to be aware of our need for God to help us in our anxious moments and to be alert to the many ways He can. These song lyrics I heard today also served as a great reminder to me of how many ways God can speak to us. The song is appropriately called “Great Are You Lord,” and the lyrics go like this: “You give life, You are love, You bring light to the darkness. You give hope, You restore, every heart that is broken. Great are You Lord. It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise. It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, to You only.” When you are feeling anxious, which is inevitable in this broken and crazy world, remember that God gives life, He is love and He brings light to the darkness. Then remember the words of a 6 year old that changed my day: “God is too big to fit onto a page.”
Prayer: Father God, help us remember that You alone are the antidote for the anxiety we are feeling in this crazy world and that You Speak to us in a myriad of ways, even through the prescient words of a 6 year old that reminds us that You are far too big to fit onto a page of paper. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen!
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