God is Bigger Than 2009

Well, another year down the tubes. Hopefully it was a good one for you and yours. Unfortunately, the reality is that 2008 was a pretty tough year for more people than not. The economic woes of the Western world seem to be trickling across the globe, and few of us have been left untouched. Add to that the insane rise in cancer and other health-related problems that my loved ones...and probably yours, too...have faced lately, and chances are that 2008 was a year that you are glad to put in the rear-view mirror.

You know what, though? That gives me hope. The New Year is always about looking forward and new beginnings. I know that several of those closest to me are banking on the fact that at least things can't get any worse! Each new year brings its own set of challenges and blessings. Some years, the blessings outweigh the challenges. There is a very real chance that 2009 will be one of those years.

Here's something to think about. No matter what 2009 brings, we have an opportunity to grow closer to our Creator through our circumstances. If the end state of our experiences during any year is that we have had a chance to let Him prove Himself in our lives and we have felt His arms supporting us, then in the end it was a good year. By that reasoning, I'm sure that many of my loved-ones would say that 2008 was actually a good year. My brother Chad, for example, was hit harder by the economic crisis than anyone I know. For a while, he became disillusioned and angry. But, as I knew he would, he eventually threw the whole mess into God's lap, crawled into His arms and let Him take the burden. Since then, Chad has been able to experience God's heart of Love on a whole new level. He even writes a blog about it. It's called 'Love' (if you haven't read it, you need to - there's a link to it under my blog list on this page). Chad, despite his circumstances, is in probably the best place that he's ever been. And he is truly happy. All because of stinkin' 2008.

It's funny how God often uses life's hardships and setbacks to bring us closer to Him and prove to us all over again that He is Lord of everything. Did you know that Chinese Christians actually pray that Christians in America will be persecuted? Not because misery loves company, but because they rejoice in their persecution because it keeps them so close to their God. Whoah!

2009 is setting up to possibly be a tough one for Camille and I. The hotel that employs Camille is being renovated in January and February, so right off the bat she will be out of work for at least the first two months of the new year. I am headed back up to Tacoma to see my heart surgeon in January and get a verdict on a date for open-heart surgery to replace a faulty heart valve. Since I am a commercial pilot, that will put me out of work for six months, according to FAA regulations. Not to mention having to be cracked open like a dungeness crab. We are trusting God for a miracle in this area, but also trusting Him to provide in any way the He sees fit.

While it's all a little scary, I have a peace that I cannot explain. In a twisted way, I am actually looking forward to seeing how God uses our circumstances in 2009 to bring us closer to His purposes for our lives. I've been through the fire before, let me tell you! And I know first-hand that God can be trusted. With everything. That means everything. He isn't burdened by our linear view of time. Time means nothing to Someone who created the cosmos...Someone with no beginning and no end. He already knows the thoughts that I am going to be putting into cyberspace on December 31 of 2009. He knows how all of my circumstances are going to play out and He has a plan for making me better and happier and closer to Him through those circumstances. Whether that be miraculous healing or a surgeon's knife - He knows what is best for me. He's more responsible at handling my life than I could ever be. Realizing that is the most freeing experience possible!

There's a story in the Bible (2 Chronicles chapter 32) about how the Assyrians were coming to attack the Judah (one of the two Israelite kingdoms), to lay siege to Jerusalem. They had an unimaginably vast army and were possibly the cruelest dudes to ever walk the face of the earth. Basically, you didn't want to get into it with these guys! When Hezekiah, the king of the Judah, learned of the impending attack, he made the usual military preparations, but then went a step further. Knowing the impossibility of their situation and the fear that gripped the hearts of his people, he called them together in the square inside the city gate. He said to them, "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." (2 Ch. 32:7-8). The people were encouraged. And check this out - after letting the king of the Assyrians shoot his mouth off for a bit about how great he was and how Israel's God couldn't help them, God sent an angel into the Assyrian camp and killed all of the mighty warriors and captains and pretty much anyone of consequence in the Assyrian army. Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, promptly returned to his homeland in shame, where he was soon-after killed by his own kids as he worshipped in the temple of the false god who couldn't deliver Jerusalem to him.

Judah had been faced with an overwhelmingly impossible situation. There was no way that they, on their own, would have survived. What Hezekiah knew was that no problem is to big for the Creator. The nation of Judah effectively crawled into God's arms that day and trusted Him to take care of the things that were out of their control. And He came through. Big time! He's done the same for me in the past. Probably for you as well. 2009 might hold some impossible situations...for us. The thought that gives me hope going into it is that nothing is impossible for my Creator. Not only can He deal with the 'impossible', but He can make our lives better than they were before through it all. So I say, Happy New Year! Bring on 2009 and let God prove Himself in our lives once again!


By the way, I'd like to thank my pastor, Jason Biel of Coastline Christian Fellowship, for inspiring many of these thoughts today. He preached a message about that passage of Scripture in 2 Chronicles last Sunday and hit a home run. If you'd like to hear it, you can find the podcast on iTunes - our church posts podcasts of the Sunday and Thursday services. I don't think they've added this last Sunday's message yet, but they will soon. All of his messages are worth checking out. He will probably never know how much of an inspiration and encouragement he has been to Camille and I. Thanks Jason! See you out in the water soon!