I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the LORD, who does all these things. Isaiah 45:7
Dear HLPC family,
With Connie out of town this past weekend I indulged in watching a movie I was given for Christmas but had yet to view. It was the recent film “Midway” which depicted the critical navy battle in the early days of World War II. I enjoyed watching it because the makers of the film expressed their intent to be historically accurate—I suppose as much as any movie could be. As I watched I was struck by how unprepared the United States was in the early days of the war. It was a wonder our country, along with our Allies, was able to achieve victory when you consider some of our early failures. Yet we cracked codes, we were in the right place at the right time to spot enemy positions, and took advantage of some of the poor decisions of our adversaries. Some would say the United States experienced some “good luck.”
Isaiah 45:7 tells us otherwise. It tells us that nothing is left to chance and that our God is in control–even when things look out of control. I need to remember that, and so do you. We live in tumultuous times, but in reality, we always have. There has never been a truly “golden era” of life. We may have some sentimental feelings about years gone by, but sin and its effects have always been felt.
The God who made heaven and earth and who sent His Son to redeem a people for Himself is the One who reigns over all. We can get truly discouraged, even depressed, over what we see in the world around us. Yet our Savior reigns. In fact, as we saw from Romans 8 this past Sunday, we always have hope.
This Sunday we will be encouraged once again when we look at how the Holy Spirit prays in us and for us. If you need some encouragement in difficult days, I urge you to come as we dive into Romans 8:26-27.
Remember, our God reigns.
Your Pastor,
Paul