Living in a Crisis Stricken World – what do you hold on to in life?

School Devotion for 23/9/2008
Over the last two weeks, we have seen crisis after crisis happening in the world we live in. First, we read about how large banks in America were closing down. Stock markets were crashing. Then came the news that AIG, one of America’s biggest banks might also close down. I was joking with Roy, who is a Man U fan how Man U might now need to find another sponsor since AIG might be closing down. In Singapore, we read how many insurance policy holders of AIA panicked and began selling their shares and terminating their policies to avoid losing all their hard earned money put in investments.

Then there was the big news in China where industrial chemicals were found in baby milk products leading to many babies falling sick and some even died to the poisoning. In Singapore, many milk products were quickly taken off the shelf to prevent something similar happening to us. Those who were responsible for this inhumane thing were probably selfish people desiring to make quick money in the cheapest way without sparing a thought for the many innocent lives and babies.

And just recently, a geographical expert said that Singapore might not be spared from future Tsunamis for long. And when it happens, we will be devastated. In reality, Singapore being a very small country, we might even be wiped off the face of this earth if it really happens to us.

As students, perhaps we might think that these things may not affect us so much since we are in school most of the time. In truth, we are very much part of the world as it moves on. True, we may not feel the full impact of the banks that crashed, we may not have seen any of our babies in Singapore falling sick. We may not have experienced a real tsunami in our lives yet.

However, in the midst of all that is going around us – calamities, economic instability, sicknesses, one thing that is certain is that life is pretty much uncertain. We do not really know what may happen tomorrow. Our families might break up, we might face a financial situation at home that is beyond us, we might lose a loved one. All these are the tsunamis in life itself. Is there anything we can hold on to when life issues affect us?

The Bible which is the word of God assures us that in spite of all these uncertainties and instabilities in life, there is one thing which we all can be certain of

In Luke 21:33, Jesus says 33 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Psalm 46 says, God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Have you ever ask yourself who makes the sun rise to smile down at us? Who makes it go down in the horizon that we might smile and admire the beauty of the moon as it rises? Who makes the rain come down?

Everything else may fade away one day but God and his promises will never fade away and this is the one hope we have.

Let us pray.
Lord, thank you for this wonderful morning you have blessed us with. We pray for all those affected by situations beyond their control that you will watch over them and bring peace to their lives. We pray for the babies affected by the contamination that you will bring healing to them and bring comfort to their parents. We thank you for your reminder to us this morning that everything else might disappear but you and your promises will always be here for us. I pray for all of my friends who may have struggles in their lives, that you will be with them in every way. May you also continue to guide all of us here in our studies and grant us wisdom in everything we do.

In Your name I pray, Amen.