Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Our Living and Active God

"But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King..." (Jeremiah 10:10 ESV)

Our God is active and alive. Longfellow wrote this line in one of his poems, "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep." Longfellow wrote that line on Christmas day during the American Civil War. In the midst of cannon fire and of longing for his son who was in battle, Longfellow heard the Christmas bells of the church ringing and reminding him that peace on earth can still be heard, can still be felt.

Sometimes cannons are going off all around us. The thick smoke of confusion burns our eyes and blinds our vision. The earthshaking booms of fear deafen our ears. The mayhem can be paralyzing, but "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep." We can have faith, hope, and peace because our God is alive and is actively involved in our lives.

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'” (Exodus 14:13, 14 NIV84)   The Egyptians were in pursuit to kill the Israelites. They were the physical form of fear. Moses assured the Israelites that their living God would fight for them and deliver them from their enemy.

What is your Egyptian? Our enemy Satan intends to devour, to kill anything good and holy, to destroy hope, truth and joy. Our God is active and alive. He is not dead, nor doth He sleep. Be still. Wait upon the Lord. Trust in Him with all your heart. He is worthy. He is powerful. He is good. He will fight for you.  He is active and alive. "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" (Psalm 42:2 ESV)