Tag: COVID-19

How Do I Find God?

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Job answers Eliphaz (ch.22) and asks, simply, how do I find God?

Oh, that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his seat!

Job 23.3

It’s interesting and important to remember that this is Job’s response to the worst that life can throw at him: to run towards and to find God.

Rather than look deep within, rather than trying to pull himself up by his own bootstraps, rather than put his hope in the temporary trappings of the world, Job’s singular focus is to find God in the midst of trouble. 

Charles Spurgeon wrote,

“Good men are washed towards God even by the rough waves of their grief; and when their sorrows are deepest, their highest desire is not to escape from them, but to get at their God.”

Do you feel that? Is the current state of the world driving you towards God in a fresh, new, and reinvigorated way?

If you are taking the first steps towards seeking and finding Him, I would encourage you to read this, where we talked about the idea that yes, we can know God. If you already have a relationship with the Almighty, I would encourage you today to prioritise it, to make time for it, to invest in it, to let the worldly circumstances we all find ourselves in push you with renewed vigour to the foot of the cross and to Him who sits on the throne.

Social Distancing, Physical Distancing, and the Church

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

As much of the world now goes into lockdown meaning that voluntary social distancing becomes social distancing through government order, I wanted us to pause our study through Job and consider the difference between social distancing and physical distancing.

Rather than term what we are all doing social distancing,

would it not be better to refer to this as physical distancing?

Social distancing means that we are isolated socially, not in touch with anybody, alone, feeling abandoned, and definitely not part of a loving and living body of people (1 Corinthians 12.12).

Physical distancing is simply just that; you don’t get too close to people.

Small difference in choice of words, HUGE difference in understanding, acceptance, and practice.

For the sake of others, let us practice willingly and obediently physical distancing. The church is still the church despite physical distance. Jesus said that on the bedrock truth that He is the Son of God, that He is Divine, that He is the Messiah, that He is Almighty God,

I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Matthew 16.18b

During times of adversity and tribulation and trial, we will see if the church is really the church.

We will see if this body of people is self-supporting, self-sustaining, and self-supplicating (James 5.16).

We will see if this body of people is Kingdom focused, or kingdom focused (Matthew 6.24).

We will see if the church is filling its God-given mandate to make disciples (Matthew 28.19-20).

We will see if there is fruit and a root (James 2.14-26).

We will see if this called-out-of-the-world group of people really are fully regenerate born again believers part of the living body of Christ, or just a group of consumers who turn up to watch a religious TEDTalk once a week.

This is going sting for some, turn some away (John 6.60), but for those truly in the body this is going to be a defining period of time, a call to action, a call to take up arms, a call to show that yes, we are the church, we aren’t going anywhere, we are here for each other and for the world. 

Brother, sisters, let us practice physical distancing but not social distancing, and let us show the world that we are the church today, tomorrow, and every day.

Where Is My Hope?

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Job laments the poor counsel he is receiving (16.1-22), then asks a universal question, where is my hope? (v.3, 15).

With the world as it is right now, full of COVID-19 information, misinformation, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty, Job’s question is timeless and still very true. So, where do we turn for hope?

Do we turn to the news outlets? But how do we know if it’s genuine or biased? Clear or contradictory?

Do we turn to social media to connect with others? But how do we know that this is a genuine picture of people’s life? Facts or filters?

Do we turn to home comforts? Do we turn to earthly pleasures? Do we turn to worldly ways of ignoring reality? We could go on…

There is only one infallible, evidenced, proven, steadfast, sure, anchor-like place to turn for hope in the midst of trial and tribulation (Hebrews 6.19).

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121

Adam Clarke wrote this, a fitting thought to take into today,

“Job himself, though sometimes strongly confident, is often harassed with doubts and fears upon the subject, insomuch that his sayings and experience often appear contradictory.

Perhaps it could not be otherwise; the true light was not then come: Jesus alone brought life and immortality to light by his Gospel.”

Our hope always comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Turn to Him today!