A Test

“ “I…will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested…” Zechariah 13:9

“Brrraacckk–brraacckk–brraacckk! This has been a test of the emergency broadcast system. If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed where to turn for more information. Brraacckk!”

Danger! Bells and alarms begin going off, if only in our head, in response to a threat or bad news. Where should we turn? What should we do? How can we be safe? Our heart pounds, our hands tremble. Worst of all, our brain fogs. We suddenly, unexpectedly, find ourselves helpless and fearful.

Most of what we fear never happens, though. Usually it is just our thoughts that twist and tumble ahead of reason and logic. We suddenly find ourselves thinking the worst. The phone ringing makes us afraid that some bad news is coming our way. The doctorʼs test makes us fear we are facing something dire. The smoke on the horizon makes us afraid our house will burn down. Letʼs admit it—we don’t want to walk through hard things, we donʼt want anything to change, we don’t want to be hurt, and we donʼt want to be uncomfortable!

We would do well to remember that in the event of an actual emergency, God is with us! He already has a plan in place. He has seen this coming, and has allowed it, and has already made provision for it. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

And nothing frightens Him. He is unmoved by even actual emergencies, for He is self-existent—He exists quite apart from circumstances. We who are earthbound have no choice but to live in the here and now, amid our many imagined emergencies, but God who is Everywhere-At-Once (“omnipresent”—and this includes past/present/future) has no boundaries of space or time.

In both our imagined emergencies and our actual emergencies, do we turn to Him first? Or do we fret, call our friends, or our attorney, or our counselor? Friends, attorneys, and counselors have their place—but they shouldnʼt have first place. The first One we should call is the One who loves us and will be with us, no matter what comes.

Oh God, we are desperate for You to reveal Your presence when we are facing the emergencies of life. Help us remember that You are the First Responder, and the One who will never leave us to face the tests alone. In Jesusʼ Name, Amen.