Headwinds

The Lord – our Lord – reigns from heaven! Of that you and I can rest assured (Psalm 11:1-7). Take just a moment and let the words of this short psalm wash over your soul. You’ll be glad you did.

I particularly enjoyed our men’s Bible study at Green Hills Tuesday morning. In my opinion, those are some of the finest fellows a guy could ever meet. We were studying the subject of peace – particularly the believer’s ability to know and experience true peace in a world that seems anything but peaceful. My mind races back to this particular period in Israel’s history because God’s people were living in a time of troublesome cultural deterioration. And, let’s face it, it is the social deterioration which we perceive to be happening all around us which adds to our general sense of angst. We all know that we should be able to rise above such concerns, but I think you would agree with me that it’s sometimes easier said than done.

The psalmist even seems a bit on edge, in my opinion. I’m not particularly comforted by that observation except in the sense that my being a bit on edge seems at least a little less strange. I completely understand that this world is not my forever home, but that doesn’t make it easy for me to watch unrighteousness prevail on Planet Earth. Perhaps my struggle is one to which you can relate, being that – if we are to understand this psalm at all – righteousness is the very foundation of God’s eternal throne. Truth’s triumph is coming, but when?

Let’s take the subject of gender identity, for example. The “culture wars” are no longer about how Target chooses to identify their restrooms. That seems like child’s play at this point. Our society is so immersed in such a general sense of confusion at this point that we’re starting to see the painful backlash which has been unleashed upon the unsuspecting. Nearly every day I read another account from a young adult whose life has been nearly destroyed by “transitioning” medical procedures which they now deeply regret. What promised freedom has not delivered said freedom. I could care less about scoring any political points on this subject, but I am brokenhearted when I encounter a person who’s been ravaged by such an insidious lie. In fact I’m praying daily for some precious young people who are trapped in these real-life scenarios right now.

You and I cannot pass by the injured man by traveling safely on the other side of the road. Jesus commended the Samaritan. Not only are we called to peace, but we’re called to compassion, and maybe that’s where the rub really lies … because if we act as we should upon the impulse of compassion, it can’t be divorced from our commitment to tell the truth. And I don’t have to tell you that gospel truth-tellers aren’t regularly awarded the Nobel “Peace” Prize these days. We will rarely be true to Christ while applauded by the world.

Godly people live at-risk lives. It’s as simple as that. This is our powerful history and our glorious heritage. We remember the Hebrew midwives who risked it all. We remember Moses who risked it all. We remember Esther who risked it all. We remember Daniel who risked it all. We remember three brave boys in a fiery furnace. We remember the stoning of Stephen. We remember the persecution of Paul and the early church. We remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie ten Boom. We remember the underground church in North Korea meeting even as I type these words. We remember.

We have nothing but safety in the ultimate sense – the upright shall see his face – but the temporal road which we traverse can get a bit rocky on this side of glory. On we press.

There have been no perfect circumstances since the Garden, and I don’t have to tell you that 2022 America is no exception. The cultural headwinds are real and intimidating. But we must remember that headwinds cause the aircraft to take flight, and that headwinds sometimes steer us to the place where we needed to be all along. Yes, the storm clouds gather. That’s just what storm clouds do, friends. But we know the One who orders, “Peace! Be still!” Perhaps Michael Anthony Milton said it best …

When the wind and waves of life
Drove my soul to find relief,
I was guided by the storm
To find Jesus underneath.
When the storms of life betray
All the promises You’ve made,
I will cling to Calvary’s place;
I will trust Your sovereign grace.
Though Your presence with me goes,
I seem to still be tossed and turned
By an unseen enemy
And I know I need to learn.
When the storms of life betray
All the promises You’ve made,
I will cling to Calvary’s place;
I will trust Your sovereign grace.
And when life is finally o’er
And I stand before You, Lord,
I’ll see the storms that stirred despair
Were the winds that blew me there.
When the storms of life betray
All the promises You’ve made,
Let me cling to Calvary’s place;
Let me trust Your sovereign grace.

Verse 3 of our psalm asks what is perhaps the most compelling question of the hour: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

I say we trust the Lord, come what may. What say you?

Pastor Charles