The Starting Point

Last week I had the opportunity to share with some people some of the things about ministry in Dulce.  After talking a bit about what was happening last spring the woman next to me asked something like: "How do you handle all of that?" I wasn't sure what she was asking and so she rephrased her question as: "How are you able to keep going in face of the struggles of your community?"

It was a good question, with an easy answer. "The Lord sits on his throne, and he has not moved." Now it was her turn to ask for some clarification.  My expanded answer, more or less, was this: 

"No matter what is going on in the world, in my ministry, or my life, the thing that does not change is that God is in control of all things. From the first moment of creation and going on until that day when he will draw human history to a close, he rules all things. He is not distracted. He is not unaware or uncaring. No matter what things look like to me, or how hard, and even unjust things may appear at a particular moment, his purposes are being accomplished, and for his children he works all things for good."

Personally, I think that in times of difficulty, or when the world doesn’t seem to make sense, and we look in the mirror, or at the people around us as our starting point to figure out what to do next, we are headed in the wrong direction.  When flesh-and-blood humans and human ways of understanding the world are our go-to options, we will be led astray.

The proper place to cast our gaze at, at any time, but particularly in the times that are hard and confusing, is in the direction of the Lord.  Seek him first, for rest, for strength, for peace, for counsel, for whatever it might be that is needed at the moment, and in the minutes, days and weeks to come. 

The Lord sits on his throne. He is not moved. His characteristics do not change, and those are all really good things to remember.  When we seek him we may not receive the response we would prefer. But that’s okay. Perhaps not easy, but okay.  It's okay because of who he is, the Lord God Almighty, whom we can trust at all times and through all things.

No matter what may be going on in your life today, or tomorrow, or whenever the next storm shows itself, don't look to around yourself for help, but look to the Lord.  For all of life, may he always be your staring point.