Come Up Here And See

Imagine coming home from work one day to an unsettling scene. As you walk into your house, you instantly feel something is off; nothing is as you left it that morning. When you left, the beds were made and everything was in its place, but now items are scattered everywhere. Papers and letters are thrown around haphazardly, and framed photos have been knocked from their spots. Books that should be neatly arranged on the shelf are now strewn across the floor. Clothing has been ripped from the closets and left in disarray. Your desk and filing cabinets, which once held your bank account details and other private documents, are now emptied and their contents litter the floor. No room has been left untouched by chaos. Your home looks as if a tornado has passed through, even though no storm has occurred. You’re left with a feeling of chaos, unsure of how long this disturbance will linger in your life. 

For neat people, it does not take much for disarray to unsettle them. Untidy people, not like me, seem to welcome or enjoy disorganization. Everyone’s tolerance level of chaos may vary but chaos is still chaos. 

• Merriam-Webster describes chaos as a state of utter confusion, a confused mass or mixture
• Dictionary.com describes chaos as a total lack of organization or order.

Chaos is not unknown to God. 

• Genesis 1:2 TLB the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors.

What did God do when He was presented with the first chaos, He spoke to it and said “Let there be light”. Genesis 1:3 

God taught us how to handle confusion and panic by calmly commanding chaos to leave and bringing in light. 

The key is to address chaos when it first emerges in its seed form. In this initial stage, it’s much easier to manage the resulting side effects. However, once chaos grows into a full-blown issue, it becomes the elephant in the room, causing significant destruction. Many people avoid confronting the seed of chaos due to shame, self-pity, or apathy. The Lord does not want us to remain trapped in a chaotic life. He went to the cross for our breakthrough, but each day we must choose to live for Him, growing into mature sons and daughters of Christ unified in our faith. Ephesians 4:13-15

One day, Jesus was preaching on the beach from a boat because of the large crowd gathered, desperate to hear the Truth. When He finished teaching, He told the disciples, “Let’s travel across the sea.” A great storm arose, and Jesus slept through it until the disciples awoke Him, panicking from the chaos around them. Jesus responded in the same way that God the Father did in the beginning:

• Mark 4:39 ICB Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and the waves to stop. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.

After Jesus rebuked the storm, He calmly asked the disciples, “Why are you afraid?” The peace that Jesus spoke of, along with the stillness of the storm, left them wondering, “Who is this man?” In that moment, Jesus embodied peace amidst the storm, a memory that would return to the disciples in the coming years, no matter the chaos they would face.

• John 14:27 NKJV Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Fear, worry, sickness, and the weight of emotional burdens can often create chaos in our lives. Remember, my friend, that chaos is the work of the enemy. The enemy is the father of all lies and the accuser who brings confusion and disorder. God gave you the power to confront the confusion in your life—name it and command it to leave in the name of Jesus. In these challenging times, we need to turn to the Lord, who will guide us with His strength.

• 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
• Ephesians 6:10 NASB  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

• Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
• Philippians 4:13 NASB I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
• 1 Peter 2:24 NASB and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. 

Chaos today is no different from the beginning of Bible times with Noah or when Jesus walked the earth. Chaos may have a different face but it is still chaos. The Lord is still the Lord of the Hosts and we can rely on Him to keep us. 

• Jude 1:24-25 NASB Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Holy Spirit, I pray that we take a deep breath and stand firmly with our eyes fixed on You as our deliverer. Thank You for the guidance You provide to help us defeat the enemy and the chaos he brings. Thank You for Your kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Check out my YouTube site at “comeuphereandsee.ca”

Photo Credit to Peter Herrmann