God promises through Zechariah that even the most vulnerable who are faithful to him will be invincible, like mighty warriors. Yes, we might take some knocks, and what we endure may be unpleasant. But God creates order from disorder, and the order that God creates will be far superior to anything we’ve had before.
The good news is, no matter how much of a mess we’ve made, no matter how disordered things become, no matter how distant we’ve become from God, we are not beyond his reach. God can make order from our disorder. No mess is too big to clean up.
Perhaps some of us have realised that the disorder we experience is due to the choices that we have made and have come to believe that there is now nothing left for us except disorder. This simply isn’t true. God can bring order from our spiritual disorder. God can bring us to a state of order better than what we can possibly imagine. God can release us from any form of oppression and abundantly bless us with justice and mercy.
Our sense of who we are is disordered. Yet, as increasingly disordered as the modern West is becoming, we can be confident that God is working to create a greater order that locates our identity in him.
There are implications to knowing how God is our creator. The Bible wants us to understand and to have it first and foremost in our minds that God is a creator. This brings out the beauty of creator God bringing order from disorder.
When we experience disorder, we feel disenfranchised, disconnected, and isolated. Whether it be the loss of a job, breakdown of a relationship, compromised health, financial trouble, the separation of death, ongoing disrespect from colleagues and ridicule from opposition, or simply because our day hasn’t met our expectations, these are experiences of disorder. When the experience of disorder is profound, life can seem meaningless and futile. This is when we need to start looking for order.
When we face times of disorder, we can find solace by taking a deep dive into the Old Testament prophets and writers, discover the hope and the wonder they had in God, and draw rock-solid courage during the utmost of discouraging times. Join me on my journey of discovering how God creates order from disorder.
A reflection from Joseph Park on broken dreams. Joseph gives tips on how to deal with this, and how we can trust in God’s plan for our lives.
Who are you? What makes you who you are? What are you known for? How do you experience peace in your life? These are all questions that revolve around the idea of completeness or having a fulfilling life.
Acts 20:35 – ’We must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Mercy …
