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“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:1-8 NIV

Friends, we find ourselves in the epitome of the unknown.  This time last year, we could never have imagined what would transpire in our nation and in the world in one year.  As well, none of us could have predicted the ways life would change and the speed at which it would happen.  But now, we find ourselves beginning another year and viewing events that grieve us to the core while wondering what is still to come.

In the existence of uncertainty, it is a struggle for many to find a place of serenity.  At the same time, it is also possible for many of us to partially bury our heads in the sand and act like nothing is different.  Additionally, there continues to be a great number of our friends and neighbors who are just trying to get by from rent payment to rent payment, meal to meal, and medical treatment to medical treatment.  All the while, the earth continues to spin as the sun comes up and the sun goes down.  When will things get better?

I continuously feel drawn to the passage above, especially the call to trust in the Lord.  I have shared this scripture with you before, and I have quoted it to my flock dozens of times.  It is a truth we must hold onto in days when it seems like everything is completely out of control and total chaos.  I have shared a greater part of this proverb to show some context and allow us to see greater truth.  The writer commands the reader to not forget these teachings and to keep these commands, especially in the heart.  Love, faithfulness, and trust; these are the guiding principles of a life committed to God, a life blessed by God.

So, what do we do now?  We do exactly what this truth teaches us to do!  We obey the teaching and commands of God by becoming a conduit of love and faithfulness as we trust in Him alone not being fooled into thinking we humans have life figured out.  We know God is faithful and we know we can trust in Him.  As well, we know the devil is a liar and is working extremely hard right now to fool the world away from God by continuing to create massive amounts of chaos.  It is imperative for each of us to be solid in our foundation of Jesus Christ and be part of a church family gathering to help each other along and keep focus in these dangerous days.

I want to offer myself and my congregation to anyone who is searching, struggling, and wishing to stay close to God.  If you need a pastor to talk to, feel free to give me a call.  My number is 409-422-7614.  If I do not answer, leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.  My desire is to help anyone I can find the peace God’s gives through forgiveness of sin and encouragement for those who feel helpless and lost.  You can also text me as well.  I am serious about this, because the days we live are serious.

As I close, I want to remind you God loves you and there is nothing you can do about it!  We have no idea how this year will play out, but God does, nothing is a surprise to Him!  Please meditate on Proverbs 3, but also yield your life to God and allow Him to rescue you!

You are Valued and Loved,

Pastor Brad

 

Rev. Brad McKenzie is Lead Pastor at Orange First Church of the Nazarene, 3810 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange.