FarmYard Insights

By Glenn Edwards

Walking with God in a Tumultuous World 

You might ask, where do crisis and calamity come from?   What a question, right? 

But everyone wants to know, is it from our God? From the Devil and his cohorts? Or from ourselves? Or maybe from the world and all its worldly ways?  

To study this subject, we need to remember that the Bible is a book of covenants. Covenants are legal contracts enforceable by God. Secondly, we must understand that we can only exercise control over our own being & behavior, not God and not other people. 

Jesus died on the cross to redeem our lives; he was the blood sacrifice, and he purchased our freedom once and for all.

Romans 3:23 – 24 States, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."  

Jesus brought us into a harmony with God the Father, that we could never purchase ourselves. 

Through Jesus' Covenant, we gained entrance into God’s Kingdom if we want it.  It is our choice; the price has been paid, but this covenant relationship is not forced upon us.  We choose it through the born-again experience. 

Life happens, we have an adversary, and we engage in lots of our own stupidity to boot. We often believe and buy into wrong thinking, wrong doctrines, and worldly ways. But by God’s grace, we can survive, thrive, and rise above our problems.  

Some insight is found in James 4:1 - 10 NIV Translation 

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet, but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:  

“God opposes the proud but shows favor (grace) to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

The Old Testament is filled with stories about the Israelites. God spent over 4000 years trying to convince his people that their choices and behavior were important. At the same time, He was trying to get it across to them that their behavior alone could not save them. The original Adam lost the kingdom, and the second Adam—the LORD JESUS—came to repurchase the kingdom and our freedom.  

Our dilemma seems to center around what my part and God’s part is in this life.  

My discovery is that it is not just about my part or just about God’s part.  It is about us taking our seat in the heavens (Eph 1:20) with God and then engaging in an ongoing relationship with our Holy Father through Jesus Christ and by the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.  

2024 USA Election 

Every four years in the USA, we hold an election to choose our political leaders. In the months leading up to the election, the dialog tends to become increasingly nasty and worldly.  Our adversary the Devil and all his cohorts, stir the pot and create “di-vision,” or two visions, to consume our thought life and discourse.  For many Christians, this is a time when we enter the fray and act like the people of the world.  We become nasty, unloving, and critical and believe that we know what’s best for our country.  

However, I Cor 8:1-2 states that "we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. "

I am not against dialog, discourse, and even some lively debate so long as we can maintain the spirit of love, which is the nature of our Heavenly Father. We are exhorted to walk in Love, even towards the Devil’s followers. It is not an easy feat, but one worth attempting repeatedly - praying fervently to birth Godly revelations into the ungodly people, that their eyes might be opened, that they might see new and Godly insights, and thereby change their minds.  

Matt. 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." 

It is not necessary for the USA to become a Christian nation for individuals to participate in the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God is within us if we will allow it to be.  And, it is not a kingdom of this world. 

Voting is our privilege in a Democratic nation. Review the candidates and then pray for wisdom to vote as God directs. Remind your friends to do the same and encourage them to thank God for our nation. Some may feel led to participate in these leadership roles, and as God directs, this can be a good work. 

However, remember that our nation and government are not the answer; Jesus is. We need a Godly revival at the grassroots level of our country—a bottom-up transformation.  

This is not a Democrat vs. Republican fight but a fight of God vs. no God.  Be a part of the solution by growing closer to the solution maker, our Lord Jesus.  

One of my goals is to make the spiritual life practical and real. Remember to love your neighbor this week. It is something you should exercise faith for and thus put your walk with God into practice. 

Happy Peace-Making Adventures!! 

More insights from the Farmyard for you today.  

Be Blessed. 

Glenn Edwards