CRISIS

I have but one candle of life
to burn and would rather burn
it out where people are dying
in darkness than in a land which
is flooded with lights." D. Washer




Crisis


A crisis is a door, not a dam.
It is crisis that separates the decisive and the defeated.
Those who are decisive would even expand their businesses
for example during such dire times. That sets them apart from the rest.
When the dust settles, they are already ahead of the competition.
Those who are left behind missed out on an opportunity.
Isaiah faced such a crisis. King Uzziah died.
Even if he died a leper, Uzziah was still at that time a powerful king.
There seems to be a power vacuum. But though the earthly throne was empty,
the heavenly throne was not. “In the year that King Uzziah died
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up;
and the train of his robe filled the temple.
(Isaiah 6:1, ESV) God was (and still is and will always be) in control.
The crisis became an opportunity for Isaiah to witness God’s sovereignty.



Usually when we hear the word “crisis” we think
of a time of intense dread or danger. But the Greek word for
“crisis” denotes “decision.” It was, according to a dictionary,
the crucial point in the play or story that determines the outcome of its plot.
Thus a crisis is also the turning point when a critical decision must be made for
an important change to occur. So, when there’s a crisis, either we face it or we flee it.
We flee it and we miss out. We face it and we make the most of the opportunity.
It’s up to us to decide. Ephesians 5:15-16 commands us,
“Therefore be very careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
” (NET Bible) We make the most or take advantage of the crisis precisely because the days are evil.
We don’t wait for convenient times. We act decisively.
Financial analysts predict that there will be harder times ahead of us next year.
People are more open to the Gospel during times of trouble or transition. Let us seize this moment!
Thus, even the present global financial crisis is an opportunity, not an obstacle.
Let us share the Good News so that they would trust our God who is in control of our circumstances.
People are exasperated. Let us encourage them. Our Lord assures us, “I have told you these things
so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—
I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)



Brethren, Jesus conquered the crisis already!