I ponder this question from time to time. When crises hit on a personal, community, national, or world level, we find how small or how big our God is in our eyes. I concede, we all have crises at differing times and levels. We are all tempted to enter into a fear response. What reveals how big or small we esteem our God to be is determined by how deep and how long we abide in fear.
When we cannot see the end of the matter or discern the remedy, we begin to question the size of our God. Is he big enough to deal with this? Can he overcome before I go under? Will he show up to restore what has been lost or broken? We become so ingrained in how the crisis makes us feel and the unknown parts of it, we forget we serve an all-knowing, ever-present, all-powerful God and Savior-King. We begin to make the crisis our idol instead of dwelling on the unmatchable sovereignty of our God.
“The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming” (Psalms 37:12-13 WEB). There is a song lyric sung by Rick Pino, “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” Yes, God looks on the chaos and rebellion of our defeated foe from a position of victory. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:9-10 WEB). He knows the end before the crisis comes, and He knows how to carry us to victory. Yet, we fret.
I love the scene in the Narnia movies when Aslan is slain and the murderous creatures celebrate their great victory, thinking they have won the war. They had no understanding of Aslan’s plan to rise again, and their participation in his murder played into his strategy to seize from the White Witch and restore Narnia through his resurrection. It is the picture of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the celebration among the demonic hordes—until Sunday morning came.
We must remember, through every crisis, whether personal or global, God is not surprised, and he has had a plan in place since before the foundations of the world (Psalms 139:16). God is never caught off guard, nor does He abandon us in our times of greatest need. Like the story above, He is able to use a dark situation to bring greater light upon the earth and glory to Himself (Romans 8:28-30 WEB).
When fear threatens to enter in, do not give it a foothold. Instead, recount all the times you have seen God’s goodness shine through a difficult situation or circumstance. Be convinced in your inner being, God is bigger than the situation, no matter how out of control it seems.
“Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10 WEB). And remember, “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite” (Psalms 147:5 WEB). Psalms 147 is full of faith-building verses. If you are in a season where God seems small compared to your troubles, I recommend spending some time in this Psalm to help you strengthen your faith so you can see there is nothing and no one greater than your God.
“Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 WEB).