True North
It's hard to get your bearings when everyday seems virtually the same, doesn't it? Without external activity, I often can't tell what day of the week it is anymore. Sometimes the highlight of my day is getting the mail from the mailbox. Okay that might be a bit of an exaggeration. To break the monotony, we had a cookout the other night. No, not with friends and relatives, just us. This is not something we do very often. So we dusted off the barbeque, threw burgers on the grill, roasted marshmallows, and pitched the tent in the backyard for the girls to sleep in. Avery, our daughter, said it was all so weird that it felt like a dream. I would agree! Everything these days from camping out in the backyard to being confined at home, wearing a mask when you go out, and only seeing one another on YouTube or Zoom, seems so surreal, like a break from reality.
But then I think about what is real in our lives, what is important, and where do we find our bearings? Certainly a big part of reality comes from the roles we play at home, in our families, at school, and in the workplace, all of which has changed significantly in the past month. These roles are important but overarching all of these things is God's kingdom rule and our love and trust in Him. In Luke 4, Jesus talks about how He brings in the kingdom. This is reality: that God's kingdom is now present in the world through Christ though its fullness has yet to come! When we look at the world, we need to distinguish what is true and not be misled. In John 14:6, Jesus declares that "He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him." Our Sovereign Lord, who is eternal and unchanging, sets the course for what is real and true in our lives. Doesn't He? History tells us that ancient sailors used the North Star on the horizon to navigate where they were going because the North Star never moved. Well God is like that, a fixed point in a constantly changing world that helps us to stay on track. Not wanting us to go off course, Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Christian author and professor, Dallas Willard, once said “The constant human task is to come to terms with reality . . . what can we count on for direction and strength?" The world's reality is constantly changing, and many find themselves in turmoil right now. Our hope is that people would come to terms with the reality of Christ and His kingdom. He is true north in whom wisdom and strength can be found. To close, let's take Proverbs 3:3-6 to heart: "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Pastor Darren
