Words that were a reality this past Monday! The hottest day of the year for us here in North Central Iowa––95˚ with over 90% humidity! A heat wave for sure! Monday morning at about 3:30am, my wife and I woke up to the sad reality that we were baking, not sleeping. I looked at the thermostat…a cool 77˚ with the temp set at 71˚… and stagnant air. Oh no!
Short story…I figured out that only 2 people like Cottonwood seeds: the allergy doctor and the AC repairman. Both make a pretty penny on the proliferation of cottonwood seeds that permeate through the air of a lot of American cities and find themselves clogging compressor in houses like yours and mine! The AC guy only charged one trip to the Allergy Dr., so I will keep taking over the counter allergy medicine this month…LOL! #THANKFULITWASN’TMORE
Through this wonderful seed lesson and AC repair, I thought about the fact that we American’s can’t handle prolonged waves of heat without reprieve. In the past two weeks two different families in our church have been admitted to Burn Units due to explosions and allergic reactions to medication. Heat and humans can only interact for brief periods of time until one has to go away. We like heat only in controlled measures.
I got to thinking that some pretty “hot” heat has enveloped the church throughout history. If you are a Bible reader you know the stories that the people of Israel lived through 4 – 6 thousand years ago. Then the New Testament is plumb full of stories of how the early church walked through persecution and opposition of leaders, governments, and people that were “next door neighbors.” God’s people have always had “heat,” but it has always been a matter of how they (we) handle the heat.
I recently watched a video of the spouses and families of the Coptic Christians that were beheaded earlier in 2015 on sandy beaches in the Middle East. The family members were simply filled with joy that their husbands and brothers died loving Jesus and praying for the peace of their families. They did not renounce their relationship with Christ or curse God. They knew that they would be home soon; that they were going to see the face of Jesus SOON!
If you are reading this today, the purpose is not to cast a doom and gloom message of destruction and hate. However, I do believe that there is a time coming (scripture declares it) when we will have to face death. Some will pass in sickness and disease, some old age, some at the hands of something out of their control, and yet others––simply because they follow Christ. How is this possible? It is already happening and it will continue to happen as long as man decrees that he will make his own choices. Man’s sinful nature cannot keep up with God’s nature. It can only run from it or surrender to it!
The Bible says in, Hebrews 9:27 & 28…
“27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”
So today, I can’t help but look at the repair bill from this past Monday and ask you this question… “How hot are things for you right now?”
Do you feel burdened and weighed down? Are you in a place that seems to be spinning out of control? Are you “sweating things out” with no hope and zero peace?
It will continue to be “hot” like that for everyone that does not live with an “eager expectation of Jesus!” With Jesus, let me assure you, that the “hot” doesn’t go away. It just becomes manageable. And the good news is that you and I don’t have to manage it! As we live for Christ, something amazing happens…
Ex. 14:14, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
That God’s way of saying, “There’s gonna be a heat wave, but you got this––because I got this!”