Our God Reigns

In these days of peril, the newspapers reveal more bad news than ever before; companies going bankrupt, factories getting shut down, employees being laid off, stock markets across the globe collapsing, coupled with terrorist attacks, and the imminent threat of global recession. We see the world perplexed and in the grip of fear.

This is foretold in scripture by the apostle Paul in 2 Tim 3:1 (Amplified Bible) “But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].”

As part of the body of believers in this time, we must ask - what is the perspective that the LORD wants us to have, both individually and collectively as a community? Should we be gripped in fear and stressed out as the unbeliever next door? Let’s look at Luke 8:22-25; where Jesus tells his disciples “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake”. As soon as they set out in a boat, we see Jesus going off to sleep and right then a storm starts to rage and the boat begins to rock and the disciples, some, who were seasoned fishermen, start to tremble in fear. Jesus is woken up by the disciples who fearing the worst, cry out “…We’re going to drown!”.

Instead of subduing their circumstance based on His Word, they focus on the storm, and instead of strength to get through, they find themselves weak and trembling. The scripture says, they went and woke him up. That talks about prayer. Jesus here responds promptly and rebukes the storm. Then turning to them, asks “Where is your faith”. He wasn’t expecting a passionate plea for help, but an act of faith from his disciples.

Many a times when a storm hits, we run to the Lord in prayer, often pleading for help, when it could actually be a time to act; to exercise our God given authority over our circumstance. It’s vitally important for us to understand the times we are in, as the sons of Isaachar did, and act in accordance with the Spirit of God

(1 Chronicles 12:32).

We have a storm raging around us now. It is time to act. It is time to exercise our God given authority and command the circumstances affecting our lives to align itself according to God's Word. Our Lord wants us to prosper “bearing fruit in season and out of season”.

We can take a leaf out of two people in the bible: how they faced their crisis and came out better rather than bitter.

Joseph steered Egypt through a time of famine based on the instruction of the Lord. He prepared during the good years for the famine ahead. Through divine wisdom he brought Egypt out of what could have been a disastrous famine.

Isaac faced a famine in the land, for which he was not prepared before hand. Based on the Word he got from the Lord, he stayed in the land of famine instead of heading to Egypt where there was supply. He sowed in that land and got a hundred fold harvest. Right when everyone else was experiencing famine, Isaac was experiencing supernatural blessing. He became more prosperous than the king of the land. Whichever place we are in, whether we are prepared for the famine or not, the Lord has a way to take us out. (Read Job 5:19-27)

In every storm, there is an opportunity to go higher, than we have ever gone before, the very waters sent to judge the world, bore the ark and made it rise above the destruction. On the other side there is a greater level of ministry that the Lord has ordained for us. Its time we live up to the calling the Lord has on our lives, and bring this glorious gospel of hope to a desperate humanity waiting for deliverance.

This is the Church’s finest hour. When there was darkness in Egypt there was light in Goshen. It is not a time to mourn over the losses and missed opportunities, but to stand in the midst of the storm and declare “QUIET”. (Proverbs 18:20)

For our God Reigns!

- Thomas Mathew