Do not look forward, but look up. God directs all events and aligns everything with His plan. He also holds me, so I still look upward in view of the upcoming hospital stay.
Dear family and friends,
Have you ever asked yourself this question: Who Decides What’s Going On In The World? A few weeks ago, there was a federal election in Germany. Some spoke of a “fateful election”. In fact, this election has changed the political landscape a lot. In Switzerland, a vote will be held in two days on far-reaching changes to the so-called COVID-19 law, especially on the mandatory introduction of the certificate. Proponents and opponents have had heated discussions about this in recent weeks. Who decides what happens in Germany or Switzerland? Is it the parliaments with the elected representatives? Is it the electorate? Is it the parties and their committees, or is it the Federal Council or the federal government?
I’m interrupting at this point because I can imagine that you are now asking yourself: “What does Andreas want with this blog post? Is this going to be a political lesson? He’s not usually into politics, is he?” That’s right: I don’t deal with politics that much. Even though I’m interested in what’s going on in this world, I’m not so involved that I could claim to know anything about it. I just want to describe what is superficially in the news, what shapes our living conditions and our society, and who determines it.
No, some people say, and explain to us: In reality, it is quite different powerful people who determine the events, and, by the way, have planned everything for a long time: The ‘Bilderhügler’, the Schwab’s of this world, the Rockefeller-Planners, the ‘Free Craftsmen’, the ‘Wilhelm Doors’ and other Big Players of the Powerful Corporations and Think Tanks. Gray eminences in the background. Is this the right answer?
Away from politics and secret circles …
As you know, I am more at home in God’s Word than in politics. My wife and I read good devotional books together regularly besides the Bible.
Aha, you think, that fits now rather to Andreas. Surely you are curious about my answer to the question, who now holds the threads of the events of this world in the hand.
A few days ago, we read a short devotional in the morning entitled “Do not look ahead, but look up”. And underneath it was this Bible verse from Isaiah 6, quoted above. And the author Warren W. Wiersbe explained:
For young Isaiah, the view ahead was obscured, but the view above was glorious! God still sat on the throne and ruled the universe as sovereign ruler! From the perspective of heaven, “the whole earth … filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). If the world seems to be collapsing for you, the best thing to do is to look at the situation from the perspective of heaven for once.
How happy I was to hear these words, and I want to share this joy with you. Because we are in the x-th wave of a world crisis whose end is not foreseeable, triggered by an invisible virus whose origin is unclear. Is there for us only gloomy prospects of restrictions and even more social distance, of division of society and the danger of contagion and long-term consequences? Orchestrated by hidden circles of power that do not come out of hiding but seem to play with our lives?
If the world seems to be collapsing for you, the best thing to do is to look at the situation from the perspective of heaven for once.
Isaiah had an encounter with the living and holy God. According to the words of the throne-guarding angels, the whole earth, and the events on it served only one purpose: to make God’s glory shine forth. Has anything changed there today in the 21st century? No! From God’s point of view, all events are integrated into HIS great plan: He wants personal relationships with people who believe in Him and honor Him in this world – in the midst of suffering, sickness, fear, panic and hardship – and follow His Son Jesus Christ.
How liberating that is! Because then I must neither hope for a probably never occurring better insight and worldwide peaceful cooperation of the politicians and ruling decision makers, so that the big problems of this world are finally solved, nor defend myself against secret alleged power circles and fight for freedom rights.
No, I may let myself fall into the arms of this loving God, who has already proven his power again and again in the past history of mankind, as the fulfilled prophecy of the Bible proves. And who calls out to us through the evangelist John (John 3:16-17):
«For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.»
This brings me to my personal situation. I have been doing very well for the last few months. In three days, on Monday morning, November 29, I will be going back to the University Hospital in Zurich. There, the second round of high-dose chemotherapy and subsequent autologous stem cell transfusion awaits me, followed by the days when my blood values go into the basement before they go up again. I don’t look forward to the constant feeling of nausea, physical weakness, loss of appetite and regular digestion, and possible other side effects and complications. In that sense, “the view ahead is obscured” for me. I am all the more pleased that “the view upward … is glorious”. The great and infinitely powerful God, who is above everything and directs everything so that it serves his purposes, “he holds the whole world in his hand”. And why then should he not also hold me, little human being in the universe, in his hand and bring me through the next weeks? I rejoice in this, for I may say for myself personally: “So much did this great God love ME that He gave His unique Son FOR ME, that I might believe in Him, have a personal relationship with Him, and now call Him MY FATHER.”
I do not have to look forward so much but may above all look up! I will participate in his glory – a great view! I wish you this view and the joy associated with it as well – even if you are going through a personal crisis right now and your view forward seems darkened. Look up, not forward!
Love, hugs and greetings
Andreas
A few days ago I was able to hold our youngest granddaughter in my arms.
PS: As I had told, a granddaughter wanted “the hair like grandpa” – when I had none! A few days ago this picture was taken – my hair has grown a little again. The youngest granddaughter “has the hair like grandpa” – only hers is much softer and fluffier. And I will lose mine again, unfortunately.