CLEANING UP
It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, Who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. (Romans 4:24 NLT)
As we look at the devastation of the disaster in the wake of the hurricane that swept the gulf coast, our hearts and prayers go out to all the folks. It is just unimaginable what they are going through. As I prayed for them with the visions of the television broadcasts fresh on my mind, I was reminded that God is able to clean up messes.
The truth is, that with a word He could clean everything up, and restore everything. It would be nothing for Him at all to accomplish this. These are times that I pray for God to show off and just go ahead and do it. I think most of us feel the same way. Of course we all know that His ways are not always our ways. Even so, it is still part of my prayer.
In the midst of my prayers, I had what I can best describe as a sewer back up. It was as though my mind was flooded with all the things that had been flushed out of my life. Truly, it was like walking through the carnage of a hurricane.
The feelings of despair at the impossibility of trying to clean it up, followed by feelings of gratitude that those things were in fact gone. They were erased from my record. God had in fact done the impossible. Old things passed away, as all things became new. When I confessed my sin, He forgave my sin and cleansed me from all unrighteousness. He cleaned up a huge mess faster than I could ask. He knew my need before I called and so even as I called it was finished.
No situation is impossible for God. This disaster can be turned around and everything made better. If only people will believe in God. If only people will put their trust in Him. There will be many sons brought to glory in the midst of all of this.
Not only will God clean up many people, He will also empower those giving help and give wisdom to those who work on fixing and cleaning up. God will help the righteous as well as the unrighteous. That is just the way He is.
This is one of those times where His people who are called by His name, must pray and believe. We must speak the truth and encourage all we can to trust God and pray that many others will do the same.
Remember, when we were all a mess, at just the right time, God cleaned us up. What a miracle that was. We need more miracles now. There have already been many miracles I am sure and I pray they will all be reported. Truly, God is the God of cleaning up. Arise, shine for the Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.