Even when life is chaotic, God is in charge.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them
because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
He said to his disciples, ‘
The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest;
ask him to send more workers into his fields.'”
Matthew 9:36-38 New Living Translation

If you want to experience pure chaos attend a hot air balloon launch like the one every Labor Day in Colorado Springs. There are so many people the field looks like the sugar ants on my driveway (that probably means nothing to you, but if you saw the ants on my driveway you’d get the picture). Balloons take off from various areas of the park at different times. The Red Sea parts every time a balloon lifts off into the cool morning air.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

If you stood in the midst of this chaos you might wonder who’s in charge.

Jesus experienced a different kind of chaos. His guts churned when he looked out over crowds of people who thronged to hear him speak. They were looking for something, but they were confused and helpless. They wandered about looking for meaning and purpose in life much like we do today. It’s the human condition to look for purpose and meaning.

And Jesus saw that the harvest was plentiful.

Though Jesus experienced the chaos of these shepherdless sheep, it’s obvious who is in charge. The God who has formed us and redeemed us is one in charge even when it seems that humanity is nothing more than a black spot of sugar ants. He knows us and he loves us. He loves everyone.

The harvest is still plentiful, and God is still in charge. May he use us to help people discover meaning and purpose in the One who came for them.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner