Philippians 3: 13 - 14 NKJV
I've found myself wondering these past few days just how long the current situation in our nation will last. That much I cannot tell. However, what I do know is that once it does, with each passing day it will become more and more of a memory. We might look upon our situation now and feel as if it will be with us forever, but that is simply not true. What we have here is a bit of inconvenience. Most of us have a difficult time dealing with that. As for me, I want to be able to do what I want when I want to. Unfortunately, in this current climate of things, that isn't possible. So we wait. We wait, and we ponder what life will be when the storm finally does pass. How many people outside of Portland recall May 26th, 2017? I'd guess that not too many do. I do, I lived it, in a matter of speaking. May 26th would have been just a normal day had it not been for a hate filled man by the name of Jeremy Christian. It was Christian who, after a hate filled rant on public transit, stabbed three men, killing two of them. In the wake of this tragedy, Portland police were a heavy presence on the city's mass transit system. There were those who even began to think that this was the new normal for our city. I knew better. In the span of one month, the police presence on Portland's transit system had but diminished. Although the events of that day were tragic, they have been all but forgotten but save for a few people. This is what usually happens with major events in our lives. What's news today may just be yesterdays news in the near future. I'm not making light of any of the tragedies we face, it's just how we deal with events. How many people can explain what it is they were doing two years ago on any given day? Probably not many. However, ask someone where they were on September 11th, 2001 and suddenly their memory returns. Most everyone who was alive then will recall the events of that morning in New York. I had just returned home after working the graveyard shift when I turned on the tv and watched it unfold. What do I remember about September 11th, 2001? The silence. Walking outside I noticed a silence all around me. There were no airplanes or bustling traffic, only silence. Of course, over time, those events of September 11th have become...yesterdays news.
We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting from dearly bought experience.
~George Washington~
I would suggest that once the current virus scare recedes, that it will indeed become yesterdays news along with other long forgotten events. How many people recall the H1N1 virus outbreak of 2009? We should, over 1,000 Americans died. However, true to form, it is now simply yesterdays news. Imagine looking out your window and seeing a massed foreign army ready to attack your city. Well, this is exactly what the servant of Elisha witnessed when he woke one morning. Immediately, he approached the prophet with the obvious question, "what shall we do?" For those who don't know the story, Elisha already knew how to handle the situation. As he explained to his servant, "those who are with us are more than those who are with them" {2 Kings 6:16}. Immediately, Elisha prayed, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see" {2 Kings 6:17}. What did the servant see? Legions of warriors of the Lord riding horses and chariots of fire. What moments before had been a dire situation, was now the assurance of the deliverance of the Lord. I've written before that all too often we fear that which we do not know. However, we can learn a lesson from Elisha whenever we are faced with troubles in our own lives. We, also, can ask God to open our own eyes to that which is going on around us. One thing is certain, God knows much more than we do. I believe that He delights in revealing His plans to those who seek Him. I also believe that we are never really alone when we walk through life. We can be assured that it is Christ Jesus who experiences each and every moment as we do {Galatians 2:20}. Knowing this, we can be assured that He who is with us is more than adequate.
And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master, what shall we do?" So he answered, "do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6: 16 - 17 NKJV
~Scott~
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