Storms, Circumstances, & Evacuations

I was blessed yesterday to visit a friend from long ago and watch my daughter play with her children. It was a sweet occasion especially after a disappointing performance in the Zoo Zoom and a minor fender bender on the way. While appoaching a red light, looking at the map on my phone, I bumped the car in front of me. Praise God, it wasn’t a pedestrian or bicyclist. The damage appeared to be minimal, the driver received my apology for interupting her day most graciously, and I received a needed lesson on attention at the wheel. Earlier this week, I was ticketed for driving 30 in a school zone. I told the officer I was sure I’d slowed down when I passed the sign and suggested his detector was improperly distanced. I was sure, at the time, especially since the driver in the other lane also pulled over apparently had the same argument. The next day I cringed wondering if I’d slowed down at the overhead sign instead of the street sign some 300 feet further back. I thank the Lord for training all the time. Even if someone could somehow prove to me that all events in my life were random coincidence, I would still praise God for the work He does in my heart and in my attitude. Psalm 89 reads, “I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself” (v2). Undoubtedly, the Lord has established His faithfullness in my spirit. What naturally flows out of me is generally blended with suspicion, accusation, and a bit of self-centered paranoia. Looking for a thought pattern void of that is a semi-litmus test for me as I try to write what is from or would please the Holy Spirit.

Actually, just driving to the friends house is a pillar of personal testimony. Over the years, drugs and alcohol worked havoc on my mind and spirit; towards the end, I was such a nervous wreck, I frequently felt unsafe in my surroundings and responded in various bizarre ways which often included fleeing. A few years after my deliverance, while meeting someone for lunch in a nearby city where he’d established residence, I became anxious around the neighbors we ate with, insisted we depart, and, at his suggestion, ended the afternoon by leaving him carless at a local restaurant. Having my toddler with me contributed to my cotton mouth & panic, but it might have gone down the same without her. Several times since then, I’ve struggled against similar symptoms with varying levels of success. Yesterday, our destination was a house on a two lane highway south of Gonzales. I might have declined the invitation with one excuse or another, but she’s a believer, a friendly face from my past, and I’m interested in joining her Kairos ministry team. Following the fender bender, I was glad she invited us to arrive late since a missed opportunity after the accident and a Zoo Zoom time longer than what I’d hoped for would have made for a unhappy day.

In Numbers, the Lord sets apart the tribe of Levi to care for the tabernacle: “The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal” (v12-13). Our God is holy: whole not partial. He shows His mercy and love to the chosen nation by singling out a tribe to redeem the firstborn of Israel rather than separating families. The numbers are taken, and accounting is done to ensure the process is fair and complete. Psalm 89 continues,“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you” (v14). Numbers 3 begins by recounting Aaron’s loss of his two firstborn, the priests who mishandled the offering. Numbers 4 and other related chapters detail how the Levites are to move and maintain all the articles in the tabernacle. The instructions are specific. The other tribes depend on their redeemer to follow them with care. What compels later generations to give proper attention to lampstands and utensils? I love how Ray Stedman defines our concept of justice: “It is impossible for human beings to be more just than God, because our very sense of justice is derived from Him!..It is impossible for human beings to be more compassionate than God, for our feelings of compassion come from Him.” (Adventuring Through the Bible, ch32). Seeking to understand scripture is so fulfilling because it is already in my spirit. Revelation of the Word is like rediscovering a beautiful friendship.

Jesus says of the woman who finds a lost coin, “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Lord, I am sorry for the choices I’ve made that disregard your teachings. Thank-you for your work in me to rebuild faith and correct what does not represent you or glorify your Son. Reading about lives lost and the beating the East is taking from Irene, I pray that all suffering look for reminders of God’s goodness. I pray believers are comforted by the Holy Spirit and able to minister to others. Jesus, help people in distress receive joy knowing you, our redeemer, followed instructions with care, so we can rightfully hope for a permanent home in heaven. Lord, as people are confronted by flooding and storm damage, let the articles of faith maintained by your believers outshine what is destroyed. Enable restoration of trust in those jaded by trials and circumstances of whatever kind. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness” (Psalm 89:15-16).