In Time
The rain came down, down, down. The waters rose up, up, up. The first boat ever made lifted off the ground without a rudder, without a sail, without a motor, without a guidance system. It bumped and rolled with the winds and waves.
My dad and I had discussions about Noah and the Ark. Dad was confident that Noah was inside the Ark having an old-fashioned Camp Meeting. Singing songs of praise. Rejoicing. Confident of the outcome. All the animals were sacred as "Silent Night."
I have a different opinion. The animals were doing what animals do when frightened in a storm. Noah's wife and three daughters-in-law turned ashen white with fear every time it seemed the Ark would capsize. More than once the women screamed. More than once Noah hugged a pole and cried out: "Oh, God, will you destroy the boat you told me to make? Did I waste 120 years only to be the last to drown?" He mixed prayer with human emotions as he and his sons were making rounds to insure creatures were in their proper place.
The Church is an Ark. We come into the Body of Christ to be saved. We give our hearts to God. We choose to be part of the Body. We choose to exit the world, hear the call of God, and come in where it is safe.
But the winds and waves are fierce. The sounds of battle are strong. We hear the din and roar of conflict. The devil does not seem to be too far away. We feel the pain of sin even as it afflicts us with illnesses and crises. There are times when we wish there were a window to look out. There are times we would open the door if we knew where the door was and how to open it.
Even as I write this letter one of the finest women I have every known is in a struggle. Why should someone so talented, so godly, so loving, so totally giving, so unselfish suffer?
There are evil people in prison for horrible crimes. They live on and on with evil and violence being their daily character. They grow old on tax money.
The righteous die young and wicked live?
Solomon had it all...if anyone ever had it all. He was one of the richest men in all of history. He owned gold mines. He had other nations bring him voluntary offerings. He was an inventor. He had a powerful military, palaces, stables of horses, swimming pools that were architectural marvels, a thousand women...
Yet, Solomon came to the conclusion that if a man lives 2,000 years and does not fear God and keep his commandments it is vanity.
David surmised that it is better to anchor in God and be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord.
Times have always been turbulent. Sin has been on a rampage since Adam. It is true that there is no new sin---we just spell sin with different names. Lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and pride of life were in the Garden with Adam and Eve. Every sin known has its roots in these three. All our struggles in life are from these three varmints of hell.
Men and women in every generation struggle to keep balance. Issues of the times---war, disease, accidents, natural catastrophes, death, and disputes and disagreements between people tear at faith, strip away peaceful sleep, and would rip from us our HOPE in God.
The boat rocks. Fear knocks on the door of the ARK. Fear comes to church. Fear sits in the pews. Fear lurks behind a person singing in the choir. Fear hangs outside the church doors to send winds and waves before folks get back to their cars crying, "Lord, do you not care that we all drown?"
Peter was not all wrong. He had it right when he began to sink into the waters: "Lord, save me."
In time the Lord comes to us. If we are willing to stay in His hand, if we are willing to bear our cross, if we are willing to see His glory, if our faith steadies, then surely the boat may rock, the winds may blow, the waves may beat, but God is Our God. He cannot fail. He is ON time.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Prayerfully,
Pastor Bare
Hebrews 12: 1,2