“What is happening to our country?”  we are all asking ourselves.  The Psalmist wondered aloud at why things had become so bad in his country and then, after he entered the sanctuary, he understood.

This morning I read from 2 Samuel 24:1 “Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. ‘Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,’ the Lord told him.”  As a result of David’s action Israel suffered a plague which took the lives of 70,000 out of a relatively small nation.

God is able to do anything!  What seems to us to be an unrelated series of events resulting in the presidency of Donald Trump with all the harm it is causing is, at its root, a judgement from God on America.

As a nation we must take an account of ourselves.  This begins with each one of us looking within.  Instead of trying to fix things or turn to political activity, the real solution is repentance and a return to godliness.

There are times, like this morning,  when I just don’t know where to read in Scripture for that moment.  After saying this to God and asking Him to show me, I opened my Bible to Isaiah 33:1-6.  Then, later this morning I met a friend for breakfast.  At some point in our conversation I shared with him several of those verses.

“But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you.  Be our strength each day and our salvation in times of trouble….In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.  The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

After I read these verses, he shared that the day before he was serving a meal to the homeless at his church and for their devotional the leader had read those exact verses!

There are more times than I can count when God has worked in this way providing just exactly the right words at the right moment.  And there are times when He chooses to validate that as He did today.  I am amazed in the Presence of Almighty God!

“In the eighth month of the second year in the reign of Darius, God’s Message came…”  (Zechariah 1:1)

This could, if written today be, ” In the sixth month of the second year in the presidency of Donald J. Trump…”  or “In the seventy-fifth year of the post industrial age…”  God’s message came!

At times it seems our situation is desperate!  Where is God?  Why doesnt He do anything?  Why is He so silent when our world seems to be falling apart?

It is not that God is silent.  Perhaps we are not hearing because our mind is too noisy or just perhaps it isn’t the right time yet.

What was happening in the first year and first month in the reign of Darius?  Why at this time did God speak?  God is fully aware of humanity in all its courses and He cares very much.  God’s timing is perfect!

Although I have a pattern in my morning devotions, usually reading from the Book of Common Prayer, I also prayerfully open the Bible at “random” to hear God speak.  This morning I did the latter and opened to Ephesians 6:10-18 where Paul describes the “whole armor of God”.

After reading this text I needed to go the church my wife and I attend where I have volunteered to be the church “handyman” for the preschool wing.  I don’t check my email regularly but happened upon one yesterday afternoon asking me if I could fix a broken toilet in the lady’s room in that area.  It was a simple problem and didn’t take long to fix but as I was cleaning things up to leave I noticed the framed scripture verse over the toilet.   I was amazed when I looked at it (pictured above)  I had to take a picture of it, the exact words I had just read before going.  Now I have walked with the Lord now for close to half a century and have many times experienced how God shows Himself in the little things of life but I am always joyfully amazed.  I had to share it with someone!

What does this tell us about God?  How was He able to turn the pages of my Bible, cause just that toilet to break,  see that someone would contact me and that I would see it and… the list goes on.  What does this tell us about God’s Presence and Power all around us?  If we are unaware of these things or if we do not believe them, what does that say about us?