“Tangled in Red Tape”1 is the title of an article in World Magazine.1 The article itself is talking about how small businesses are concerned about the uncertainty in today’s market. Because of the many different policies and regulations that are coming out of Washington, D.C., job growth in the United States is at an all time low while jobless rates are at an all time high. Over 46,000,000 people are considered to be at the poverty level while over 26% of America is now unemployed. The “nanny” state mentality has grown even more ferociously as ever before. People are expecting that the government should be aiding and taking care of them as well as all of their problems—whether they be financial, job, family, housing and the list continues to grow.But what of the Church? Unfortunately with the turning of the tides so goes the Church. As society appears to be going down in a ball of flames, many people within the Church begin to wonder if everything else is going down in flames—including the Church! However, we all need to be reminded from time to time that the Church does not belong to society or to us. Rather, the Church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. And notice that I said ‘the Lord Jesus Christ.’ In reality, because the Church does not belong to society or to us and because Jesus is Lord, the Church still remains as a beacon to a lost and dying world. Society can not and should not be the gauge by which the Church operates nor should we be the standard by which we gauge the Church’s existence. Instead, the Church ought to do what the Head desires for the Body to do.
Let me give you a for instance: the brain in my head is telling my fingers what keys to press on the keyboard to my computer. By the brain in my head telling my fingers which keys to press I am typing this article. The same holds true for the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church: whatever it is that He says we as His Body ought to do. So the question arises, what are we to do?
First, we need to believe God and His Word. Proverbs 30:5 says, Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. The Scriptures attest to the fact that every word is true and faithful (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21). We can rely on what it is God says because what He has said is always trustworthy, faithful, pure, noble, lovely and true.
Second, we need to believe that God is truly in control of all things—whether good or bad. Lamentations 3:37-38 says, Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that woe and well-being proceed? Wow! The Scriptures teach us that God is in control woe and well-being. It is from Him that all things can be and it is by Him that we can go through them whether they are woes or well-beings (cf. Job 1:21, 22).
Third, we need to believe God for His provision. Philippians 4:19 says, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. What a wonderful truth this is. The Apostle Paul was encouraging the Philippians to continue to give so that the advance of the Gospel might continue. And he was also praising God for their faithfulness in their giving. Beloved, God has always been faithful to us and there has never been a time when He has not been faithful. Even in the midst of tough financial times, He still wants us to believe that He will meet our every need and He still wants us to be like He is (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 1 Peter 1:16).
Finally, we need to believe God for His protection. Psalm 34:7 says, The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. There is nobody in whom we place our trust for protection except for the Lord Himself. The psalmist knew that his relationship to the Lord was of utmost importance. That meant that he was being diligent no doubt in reading and studying God’s Word (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15). He no doubt was about the business of doing all that he could to seek God’s face and will. Beloved, God is our Protector from the enemy. We know that our chief enemy is the Great Dragon himself—the devil. But let’s not forget that he is merely a created being who in the end faces the wrath and eternal punishment of the Almighty. He may be the god of this world, but we serve the God of the universe! The devil is here for a time, but our God has been since before time and will continue into eternity!
When your faith is waning, ask the Lord Jesus to help your unbelief. The amazing thing about a prayer like this is that He always answers it by helping us.
