Coming Together
“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.”- Psalm 85:10-11
There are few things as captivating and perplexing as the 2020-21 version of city/town hall meetings. The topics for which people are contending over are many: vaccines, mask mandates, school openings, recall elections, etc. In our amazing land, where people have the right to choose what to believe and are afforded the liberty of expression, there has been a horrifying marring of these freedoms. We have witnessed the wreckage as passionate pleas have morphed into injurious insults and firm positions has produced increasing animosity and indefensible violence.
Almost every week there are painstaking videos/images depicting people speaking hate at one another, acting in violence, and displaying a total disregard for anyone who dares to have a differing viewpoint. This certainly grieves the heart of God and goes contrary to the call/conduct of a follower of Jesus. Paul calls out this age-old, flesh-riddled problem in 1 Corinthians 3:3, “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?”
Where the fallen world continues to live in a climate of chaos and chasm, there is a greater potential to be discovered of a God model that works in bringing two sides together in perfect love and unstoppable power! There are no two places that are as different than HEAVEN and EARTH. Heaven is eternal, while the earth is temporal. Heaven is the abode of God, where only light and fullness dwells. Earth is the abode of man, where darkness and decay plague us. Yet, the plan of God is to CONNECT WITH HIS CREATION. In Isaiah 66:1 the Lord cries out, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool.”
The goodness of God is evident as He offers to meet us, to make His glory shine upon us, and deliver His manifest blessings and miracle-working resources in our midst. His desire is for our completeness in Him, not our contention with Him! In Colossians 2:9-10 Paul says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”
Think about the BLESSED MEETING that happens between heaven and earth…
- When we daily invite the kingdom, He delivers heaven! (Matthew 6:10)
- When we choose humility, He hears from heaven! (2 Chronicles 7:14)
- When we step out in boldness to bring good news to others in word and deed, He distributes gifts from heaven! (Ephesians 4:7-8)
- When we live by faith, He provides the keys of heaven! (Luke 12:32)
There is a meeting place where connection is made, love is promoted, unity is realized, and true life is unleashed!