Lord of Hosts
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Jeremiah 31:35-36
Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord of hosts is his name: "If this fixed order departs from before me, says the Lord, then shall the descendants of Israel cease from being a nation before me for ever."
Sometimes I need to be reminded about the vastness of God. I’ve had one of those weeks where I have not doubted Him per se; I’ve just been frustrated because I didn’t agree with His timing. And then I read Jeremiah and realize I’ve been pretty foolish and wasted some time and energy even imagining that I might know better than God how my days and weeks should unfold. I get more frustrated, the more I invest in His leading and guiding me. That’s true only because of my own need to be in charge, not because of any failing or lacking on God’s part!
I realize how silly it is to doubt Him when I am reminded that He made the sun, and then determined exactly how far it needed to be from Earth so that it would provide light and heat yet not allow the planet to burn up. And He made the oceans and everything in them, high tide, low tide, every day without end. That God can certainly manage my little life! As I reflect on this past week, I realize God is teaching me obedience and patience and trust. He wants me to obey Him without knowing the outcome or the reward. He wants me to learn patience, so I can spend more time resting in Him and thinking before I act so that His plan can be implemented more completely and accurately. And He wants me to just rest in Him for the sake of resting in Him. He wants me trust in Him rather than myself alone.
God tells us through Jeremiah exactly how long He will love us and claim us as His own: not until the stars fall from the sky and the waves stop breaking on the beach. That’s a really long time! That’s
never by our human reckoning! I am so grateful this great and mighty, wise and powerful God loves and values me enough to allow me the luxury of resting in His care. And I respond in gratitude by making the most of this life He has given me. I strive to be the best person I can be not only spiritually, but also in practical ways. I re-use and recycle, make do and do without. These are not sacrificial acts, though. It is a lifestyle I learned from my parents. They have lived their lives substantially without debt. My Dad has always been interested in, and advocated for alternative energy sources and spent his professional life seeking out ways to advance conservation and renewal of our resources. My Mom, well . . . where to begin? Long before it was trendy to reuse plastic bags and aluminum foil, long before the day of disposable everything she showed us that almost everything has more than one use and can be adapted to whatever need is at hand.
They learned these values from their parents. And they passed them on to their children. I’m not sure they even realized they were instilling a lifestyle in me. They were pretty busy just living day to day and providing for us. I wonder if they even realize they did and continue to make the world a better place by how they lived and continue to live out their role as citizens of the world. They certainly also taught me to trust in God – even though I’m sure there were times they felt they were on their own – as a couple and as individuals. They both have a deep and abiding faith. And that is the greatest gift they have given me. We no longer share the same denomination, but we certainly share the same belief in a God who has been with them – and me – through our lives.
I believe ardently and completely in this big God. The Lord of hosts is his name. He set the stars and moon in the sky at night to light our way. And He is big enough to handle even a feisty, stubborn yet sincere creature such as me.
My prayer today is that you remember the same God who made the sun and the oceans, made you and me. And that you rely upon His wisdom and power to direct your life.
Mary
