“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

I love Spring. As it is for many of you, Spring is my favorite season. This past Sunday afternoon, after watching my pastor preach online, I went for a walk on the greenway in White House. It was delightful to see so many people out enjoying a bit of sun and relatively warm (mid-50’s) weather. Everyone looked happy to be outside and we happily greeted each other (keeping our proper social distance, of course). The trees are greening up, and it seemed like the redbuds just popped out right on March 19, the first day of Spring, along with other trees with pink clouds of flowers (cherry or apple trees, perhaps). I like to photograph wildflowers and was pleased to get some pictures of mayapples, trillium, spring beauties, bluets, and violets breaking through the fallen leaves and beginning to carpet the ground.

With all the disruption that has occurred on account of the coronavirus pandemic, with all the unexpected changes we have experienced, it is so comforting to know that some things will not change. The sun will rise and set every day and the seasons will proceed in an orderly fashion right on schedule. As God promised Noah after the Flood, “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Noah 8:21-22.

It is important to note that Noah was obedient in preparation for the Flood, he was faithful during the Flood, and when it was over he worshipped. This is a good formula for us to remember.

“Noah was another who trusted God. When he heard God’s warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was then no sign of a flood, and wasting no time, he built the ark and saved his family. Noah’s belief in God was in direct contrast to the sin and disbelief of the rest of the world—which refused to obey—and because of his faith he became one of those whom God has accepted.” (Hebrews 11:7)

In Christ,

Judy Cline

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

“Live as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8)

Here lately I often hear people say, “These are crazy times.” I’ve said it myself. Well, the times are crazy in the sense that they certainly are unusual. There has been a run on groceries, so now some of the things we take for granted as always available are a little more difficult to come by. I had heard of rationing, but other than gasoline, this is the first time I have experienced it. (We can be thankful that currently there is plenty of fuel to go around.) We may not have exactly what we want to eat, but we do have something to eat. And we can still get water by turning on the faucet rather than walking half a day to a water source. We may not have toilet paper, but we have plumbing. Social distancing is a new thing to me; as are restrictions on meeting together in groups, sequestering the elderly, and closing places of business with high and close customer traffic like bars.

So, while these times are not what we have typically experienced, they are our new normal (at least until tomorrow). So how do we live wisely, making the most of every opportunity to understand and to do the Lord’s will? One way I like to think about this question is to anticipate how I would evaluate myself a few months from now. Looking back, what would I wish I had done differently or better? Here are my thoughts, and I welcome yours.

1. Put total trust in God (and leave it with Him). That doesn’t mean we don’t take reasonable precautions such as social distancing and disinfecting, etc. What it does mean is spending more time with God in prayer than we do watching the news or rehashing current events (more than is productive) with our friends/coworkers. Recalling what God told King Jehoshaphat is encouraging. “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17) As believers, we can claim the victory now, because our God is with us and He fights with us. Our faith is what sets us apart.
2. Live with confidence in the knowledge that God will provide. “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide (Jehovah-jireh). And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:14). Jehovah-jireh is one of my favorite names for God, given by Abraham when God supplied the lamb as a substitute for Isaac on Mount Moriah. Over and over in the Bible, whether it be manna in the wilderness to the lilies in the field to the feeding of the five thousand, God provides. It could be that this situation we are facing is a test of our willingness to demonstrate our faith in our good God. Yes, the stock market is fluctuating wildly. Yes, many people risk losing their jobs or at least their current livelihood as restaurants cut back. Yes, the shelves might be empty when we are shopping for necessities. But there is a reason we are told so many times “Do Not Be Afraid.” That means no panic, no hoarding. It means cheerfully giving what we have to someone else who needs it more. We may be the way in which God provides to someone else. The way we handle adversity is a testimony of our faith in our good God.
3. Look for opportunities to be grateful. Some of them are listed in the first paragraph of this devotional. One of my friends is now intentionally posting beautiful images on Facebook to counteract all the negative news. “… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). There is enough negativity. Let’s make an extra effort to look for God at work and take every opportunity to proclaim His goodness.
4. Be especially kind to one another; encourage each other and especially our leaders. We are accountable for all our words and deeds. We can use our words to build up or to tear down. Every story that I hear from you about how you have overcome a challenge is so encouraging to me. Imagine the encouragement your stories of overcoming this challenge and how God has provided will bring to others; your focus on your blessings and how you can bless others will encourage others and help all of us to bear up together, for this is truly no small thing. “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Hebrews 13:17). “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
5. Treat each new day as our new normal, rather than taking the perspective that the coronavirus and the tornadoes are temporary interruptions to merely “get through” on our way back to the way things were. Christina Fox, writing for the Desiring God website, says: “Though these interruptions are unexpected and catch me off guard, they do not catch God off guard. They are not random, meaningless events. In fact, these interruptions are divinely placed in my path for a reason. God uses these interruptions to change me to be more like Christ.”

Thank you for all the ways in which you demonstrate these things on a daily basis, and my hope is that this devotional is just a gentle reminder that we can always do just a little bit more to glorify God by living as children of light, in a way that glorifies God, living wisely, making the most of every opportunity to understand and to do the Lord’s will.

In Christ,

Judy Cline

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

We are facing challenging times right now with the incidence of the Coronavirus. Our dedicated Mission staff, as service providers in the generic sense, and as ministers in the spiritual sense, are called as never before to reflect the love of Christ to the neediest of people. We are called to serve vulnerable people who exhibit risky behavior and/or who have come out of potentially compromised environments.

We are inundated with news about the Coronavirus from every news source, and while it’s good to be informed, we need to be discerning about what we read and hear and how we respond. We must not forsake our calling, but we must be diligent and wise. Let me say that I don’t have all the answers. I’m listening and learning just like you are; however, I feel very confident about these things:

• Each of us must be diligent about following what we have learned from our Wellness initiatives about staying as healthy as possible – drink water, eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep, get plenty of exercise. Stress-eating in front of the television or staying awake googling the latest news will not help us to stay strong.

• We should exercise caution about physical interactions with others—fist bump instead of shaking hands or hugging, for example.

• We must wash our hands properly and often; and keep our hands off our faces.

Second, we must trust that God is in this situation. I’ll digress for a moment to the other tragic event that occurred last week. I heard someone praying during a televised Metro Council meeting who said tat God was not in the tornados but was in the recovery. My friends, I do not believe this is completely true. We worship an all-powerful sovereign God. Our God is in everything. There is nothing that He has not created or ordained or has authority over.

This might surprise you but think about it. We might not want to think God is in the bad things that happen, but if we begin to separate out what God is in and what He is not in, how do we as created beings decide which is which? And do we want to worship a God who is only partly in control? Of course, we know that with the Fall, God has allowed Satan to work in this world; but ultimately, he is only here at the pleasure of God, and at the time ordained by God Satan will be destroyed.

We worship a sovereign God. He is in control; He is good; and he loves us. Romans 8:28 is true and we can trust that “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose.” We may not know the purpose for the occurrence of this disease, but we must be obedient to God’s word and that God’s ultimate good purpose will prevail.

For more on this topic, read here.

My message is not the Nashville Rescue Mission official response. The Mission has been proactive in researching and coming up with a prudent plan of action which we will learn about in due time and which I’m confident will be appropriate and comprehensive. In the meantime, let us remember and continue to be dedicated to our calling to serve the least of these, let us use this opportunity to communicate hope for today, tomorrow, and eternity to those we serve, and let us be comforted by these scriptures:

“Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it” (Genesis 50:20 GW).

 “Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage” (Psalm 23:4 GW).

 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18 NIV).

In Christ,

Judy

I had another devotional prepared for today, but after witnessing the events of the last couple of days, I just felt that something else would be more appropriate. My thoughts are a little jumbled, but here goes:

1. I am so thankful that, at least as far as I know, no one in our Mission family was injured, and no one has been displaced from their home (if I am wrong about this, please let me know).
2. I am so thankful that both campuses were spared damage.
3. I didn’t realize that it could be so dark in the Women’s Campus hallways and interior rooms and kitchen without artificial light.
4. I am so thankful to those who answered the call and provided flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, etc. It’s amazing how even a small source of light can make a huge difference in a dark space.
5. I am so thankful to those staff at the Women’s Campus who were on duty during the night the tornado came through and kept the women safely in the stairwells and other designated places, keeping them calm and safe, dispelling the fears of their charges in spite of their own fears.
6. I am so thankful for the donations that came through to ensure that our women had hot food for supper Tuesday evening, even when we didn’t have the resources to prepare it ourselves.
7. I never fail to be impressed by the ability of our staff to come together in the face of adversity and ensure safety, order, and provision in especially challenging circumstances, taking on needed roles, working extra shifts. I mean it. You all are ROCK STARS!!!!

When God responded to Job, he chose a storm as his platform in order to demonstrate his sovereignty:

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

² “Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
³ Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,
    or who laid its cornerstone—
⁷ while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels shouted for joy?

⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors
    when it burst forth from the womb,
⁹ when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it
    and set its doors and bars in place,
¹¹ when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
    here is where your proud waves halt’?

Preview(opens in a new tab)

Job 38:1-11

It’s hard to know how anyone could weather the storms of life without the knowledge that our God is sovereign, and God is good. We understand that we do what we can and trust Him for the rest. We recognize that He always comes through in ways that may surprise us and that will ultimately delight and sustain us, if we can receive His ways with gratefulness.  We find comfort in His presence; we give Him all the praise and glory.

I am so thankful to serve alongside each of you. I am so encouraged by your faithfulness and servant hearts. I am confident that God will richly bless each and every one of you.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

In Christ,

Judy