Uncovering Order out of Chaos

Thursday is my cleaning day. Last week, I decided it was time to tackle my fridge. I don’t usually find science experiments in there but it does need a deep clean with soapy water every now and then. As with anything I want to reorder, I pull everything out, clean out the dirt and wipe down the items I’ve removed. In the process, it looks messier than when I began but after a little while, order emerges from the chaos and the end result is a clean and organized fridge and I remember what items I have in stock.

Geophysically, economically, psychologically, emotionally, relationally – it appears that the world is in chaos. There are parts of my life that are in chaos and I’m willing to bet there isn’t one person reading this that isn’t experiencing some form of chaos. It’s easy to become discouraged because it feels like chaos will reign forever but it’s important to remember since creation God has taken chaos and made it into order. God is still reordering the chaos to bring it into alignment with heaven.

In Luke 9 Jesus told his disciples to go and preach the kingdom of God, so they went out and preached the gospel. It’s probably a familiar passage to many Christians but have you ever stopped to think what gospel (good news) Jesus was referring? We preach the gospel as Jesus having died and resurrected. It is definitely good news for us but Jesus was alive when he told the disciples to preach the gospel, so what gospel was he talking about?

The good news is that the Kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, it’s within reach. What is the kingdom of God (also called Kingdom of Heaven)? I believe the Bible offers a grid for understanding what the kingdom of God might look like by looking at the Garden of Eden as an example. The Garden of Eden was a place of perfection, where life was never ending and the tree of life provided healing for the nations in its leaves and where God walked among people.

Jesus told his disciples He was the kingdom of God, close at hand, and he was bringing a new order; 2,000 years later it’s still true. The chaos is being reordered and there is definitely an end.

Keep holding on; don’t miss what the disciples failed to see even though Jesus was with them in body for 3 years. Whatever the chaos is happening in your life right now and around the world, be encouraged because the cleaning and reorganization is being completed and according to heaven’s perspective, it is already completed.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Love is Forced

Image
I posted something on social media that caused a bit of a stir. Perhaps you saw the original post and wanted to engage in a conversation but couldn’t because the original post was removed due to unintended reactions. If you are here to have a genuine conversation, then this is your invitation to the table. For the next few days, I will read, contemplate, and thoughtfully respond to your comments. Plus, I have snacks. She Said What?! For those who didn’t see the original post, I’m sure you’re curious. This is what I posted: The caption with the photo read, “Any forced ‘act of love’ is generally called rape. It was a deliberate choice of words, and I intentionally set privacy to ‘public’ because I wanted to provoke a reaction that would cause widespread genuine contemplation and discussion.  However, there were two matters that I didn’t fully consider: The first is that I wanted to encourage discussion but I didn't exactly leave it open to invite a conversation with me. Besides, Face
Read more

May I Have Another Serving of Law, Please?

Image
This morning, I’m challenged by the audacity of forgiveness. I mean, I’m really feeling challenged and every time I want to justify punishment and due consequence the Holy Spirit drops the lyrics from Freedom Reigns in my mind: Freedom reigns in this place Showers of mercy and grace Are falling on every face There is freedom Argh! It’s utterly frustrating. A couple who was leading in the church I formerly attended have been charged with heinous crimes. Since their arrest in spring, I’ve been grappling with forgiveness, especially since there hasn’t been evidence of repentance. The charges have been laid and their cases are in the early stages of the Canadian criminal justice system. Their next court appearance will be to set the trial dates – it could be next month or next year. My honest desire is for them to be convicted, and sentenced to the maximum term – 10 years. And if I’m truly honest, I don’t want them just to go to prison, but I want their stay to be tort
Read more

God Makes a Way

Image
I’ve recently returned from a missions experience like nothing I’ve ever participated before. I joined three other women (from United States, South Africa and Malaysia) and together we travelled to Tibet for four days. After Tibet, another American joined the team and we travelled to Bhutan for another five days of missions. In total, I was away from home for a full 14 days. Anxious thoughts plagued me for days, even before I left. I’m not typically anxious because I’m somewhat of a strategic visionary, which means I I like to plan and be prepared for all possible outcomes. This time, though, the airline called, “Fruit basket upset,” and I found myself without a flight home. Adding to my anxiety was a friend (who has a prophetic gift I trust) telling me she felt God was asking me to trust Him, and not to make any other plans or arrangements. She said I should show up at the airport. Her words struck fear in my heart. Show up?! Without a plan?! I went into a full tailspin
Read more