I looked at my wife last evening and said quite loudly, “I LIKE NORMAL!” Unfortunately, nothing fits the category of normal in our world right now. Many of us have altered work schedules or kids we need to care for because they are not in school. For some, it’s nothing more than the inconvenience of not being able to get what we want or need at the store or having our favorite restaurant shut down. But none of us can say life is normal.
Unfortunately, Satan will use this disruption in our life to try and convince us that God has forgotten about us or is somehow unable to maintain life as we’ve known it. Or, he may say God is no longer worthy of our praise and worship or even our obedience because he has baled on us. The problem with his reasoning, and with those who fall victim to his lies, is that they are based on an incorrect premise. Who said life must be fair? Who said I deserve to have things go easily in my life? Who said God’s blessing always results in my comfort? Those are assumptions we sometimes hold on to which come from the privilege we have enjoyed in the past.
Several years ago, I was invited to lead a team to train youth ministry workers in India. We found ourselves in a little village in the back country with few comforts. The village was built with open troughs running along the side of the street which carried their human waste to a pond at the edge of town. We had to step over this each time we entered a left a shop or home. Many of the people attending the conference walked for days to get there and spent the nights sleeping on a thin straw mat laid out on concrete slabs. These conditions weren’t a fluke in their “normal”, this was everyday life.
The amazing aspect of the week I spent with thee people was their unshakable joy. They would gather in the small, hot, smelly “chapel” an hour before we were ready to begin in the morning just to sing worship songs and pray. God was real to them and they considered their lives to be blessed by him despite their circumstances.
I’m not saying these Indian believers were good and we are bad, but we need to keep this life and God’s promises in perspective. Hanging on to what is normal may not be an option. Hanging on to the all-powerful God is a privilege we never have to give up.
After 40 years in the desert, the Israelites were led by God to enter the promised land. Even though this had been God’s plan for centuries, the fulfillment did not come without risk. They were wanderers with no trained military or proper weapons. The Canaanites were not interested in ceding their territory to this roaming group. The armies God’s people were to face were powerful and well-armed. Their cities were fortified with thick walls – some wide enough to allow chariots to patrol the tops. The soldiers were fierce and well trained. Before Israel even got to the enemy, they had to get past a raging river with snakes, scorpions, and crocodiles patrolling them.
God didn’t tell them how he was going to get them through this mess, he just promised them he would. In fact, he promised them they would be blown away by his power if they chose to act in courage and move forward. Joshua 3:5, Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
As godly men, God has called us to lead our families. We are facing some deep waters and some uncertain futures right now. But the instruction is the same. Consecrate yourselves. This is a call to commit to God’s promises and commands with our whole heart. This requires us to put aside the fear and frustration that comes from losing our “normal” and trust God to care for us in his way. The result? “The Lord will do amazing things among you.”