Matthew 16:18
And I tell you
that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
Hades will not overcome it.
I have been rereading Larry Osborne’s book Thriving in Babylon. As a regular part of my devotions, I was directed to read the passage above in Matthew 16. Then I opened Larry’s book and turned to the chapter I was to read that day and discovered that he was writing about the same passage. I don’t think it was a coincidence. It was a divine reminder that God is still in control.
I have
been struggling with the way some people within the church have been responding
to our current pandemic. Some have chosen to ignore the warnings from health
experts and have continued as if it is business as usual. Others have taken up
the conspiracy banner and are claiming that this Covid-19 outbreak is a direct
attack against the church by the liberal left. During a time when our nation is
radically polarized, some in the church have chosen to pour gas on the flames
instead of being salt and light in a dark time. It is time are us all to stop,
take a breath, and remember who is ultimately in control of all that is going
on.
Thriving
in Babylon is based on the experience of Daniel and his Babylonian
captivity. Judah was carried off into
exile not because their army wasn’t strong enough, but because they were being
disciplined by God. As Osborne points out, Daniel and his friends were caught
up in the backwash of other people’s sins. It is clear that Daniel was a
righteous man, yet he still had to go through the trials of being carried off
to Babylon. Instead of being devastated by his circumstances, Daniel’s faith was
refined. He actually thrived in the midst of this extremely difficult time. Not
only did Daniel thrive personally, God used him to influence the entire
Babylonian empire.
Too
often, we who live in America, forget who we are in Christ and who is really in
charge of our world. We give lip service to the sovereignty of God, but when
things don’t go our way, we panic. I don’t know exactly what God has in mind
for us during this current situation, but one thing I can say for sure is that
God wants to use it to refine and strengthen His church. He wants us to be salt
and light during this difficult time.
There
are many people we are looking for some kind of light at the end of the tunnel
during this time. We have the key to genuine hope that can weather any storm.
It is found in Jesus. But if we panic and circle our wagons, we dim the light
of the gospel so that others remain in the dark. Now is not the time to hide, it is the time to
lead the way.
Larry points
out that many us (me included) have had the wrong impression about Jesus’ words
in Matthew 16. We often interpret this verse to mean that we will be protected
from Satan’s attacks. The reality is the opposite. We have been called to be on
the offensive, not the defensive. Satan is the one who is trying to protect
himself from behind locked gates, but those gates are no match for the power of
God through Jesus Christ. This is not a time to live in fear and doubt. It is a
time to be bold and positive. It is time to offer real hope to the many people
who feel defeated and hopeless.
Like
Daniel, we may be heading into Babylon, but that is not the end of the story.
It is an opportunity for our faith to be refined and strengthened. We know the
end of the story. We know the final outcome; we win. That is not is doubt. So we can
face whatever will come with confidence and courage. That doesn’t mean it won’t
be hard. It does mean that we should never panic. Just as God was with Daniel,
so He will be with us, no matter what our circumstances look like.
Romans 8:28
And we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the
present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
*****************
I
highly recommend Thriving in Babylon by Larry Osborne. It is a timely
read for the days we are in right now.
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