Photo Credit: Brittney West
October 7th began the Hebrew month of Cheshvan. According to Rabbi Eliezer, October 23rd marked the anniversary of when Noah entered the ark and November 2nd will be the remembrance of the family’s exit.
Last autumn I attended a Friday night Praise and Worship. I was tired after a long week of homeschool and housewifeyness, but felt I needed to be there. During worship an open mic was offered and congregants invited to pray, prophesy and declare what God placed on their hearts. At one point I shared that we, like Noah, were entering a year of uncertainty, of being “on hold”, of relying and trusting God for direction. Little did I know the Torah reading for the week was Noah’s story (a messianic Jew approached me after service and filled me in).
I also felt, but did not feel free to declare, that in a years time we would be encountering a “Whole New World” (Are you singing Rhonda?). We, like Noah, would exit the ark and face a world, an atmosphere, situations very unfamiliar and strange. At the time, I thought it was for the positive and was bolstered by the thought.
I am not so sure anymore. What does your world look like? Mine, currently, circumstantially, is dark, oppressive and tyrannical…massive inflation, empty shelves, mandates, lockdowns, masks, vaccinate or loose your job, violence, terror, an X option for gender, a transgender general in the army, considerable conservative censorship, pervasive propaganda, Dr. Seuss taken off Amazon?!
A year ago I would not thought all this possible, but here we are. I know other parts of the country, the world, are not as crazy, ludicrous, or locked down as we… but the news, the headlines, the “cray cray” bear witness? It causes my head to shake in disbelief. REALLY!? Is this really happening?!
What is the spiritual temperature? What is my true reality? What is God’s perspective and viewpoint? What is HE saying?
When I ask, I hear one word over and over: “HOPE”. Not hope in our governments, our representatives, local authorities, school boards, or administrations. Not hope in the churches, their leadership or outreach programs. Not hope in our neighbors or communities. Hope in HIM. HE is good. HE never leaves; never forsakes. HE has saved, rescued, redeemed, over and over and over throughout history… and why would he stop now?
Most everything around me is screaming the opposite “Give up. Give in. Lay down your rights and freedoms.” I feel battered and beaten. The fight is real.
But God.
In HIM I hope. In HIM I am renewed. In HIM I find my strength and ability to rise and face each day. He is my HOPE. And because of this I have faith - faith HE has not forgotten me, us, and will come through and redeem, renew, reestablish righteousness, truth and justice.
There is a “Whole New World” on the way - it is just different than I pictured…. I hope!