Posted on by Jennifer Tritsch

Perspective

Thank God for 2020.

There, I said it.  Don’t shoot.

It was the year that started with such promise and potential.  We were all in our perfect little bubbles of routines, surrounded in our orbs of self, and wrapped in our blankets of security; and then sometime after Valentine’s Day, reality came along and popped our bubble.  And no, I’m not trying to make light of a global pandemic that killed millions of people, devastating wildfires, swarms of locusts and murder hornets, riots, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes.  I realize this past year has been seemingly nothing short of the eleventh plague.

But I thank God for this year.

Yes, I am painfully aware that practically every major (and minor) event was cancelled this past year — weddings, birthdays, funerals, vacations, holiday parties, and church services with all of the events surrounding them — all cancelled. Every one of us have at least one or more story of something important that we missed.  I saw the graduating class of 2020 get cheated out of their ceremonies, proms, and parties.  I watched the Homegoing service of my own Pastor’s wife online.  There were two weddings I didn’t get to attend.  For the first time in my life, I missed Easter Sunday services as I huddled in my underground storm shelter with my family waiting out the tornadic activity all around us.  And not only was 2020 simply inconvenient. Millions became unemployed nearly overnight. Businesses — both small and large — went under. Industries were wiped out, and some will never recover.  Much of our nation — even our world — was brought to its knees.

And I thank God for this year.

Personally speaking, not much changed for me on a day to day basis during our isolation time.  I am already a stay-at-home mother of four, three of which I homeschool and one of which I chase around the house during his entire waking hours trying my best to prevent a catastrophe.  My daily life is centered around keeping everyone clothed, fed, educated, and somewhat happy.  About the only thing that changed for me during all the mandated quarantine was not being able to get everything I was used to getting at the stores for my family and having to make do.  (But hey, I learned how to make bread!)  But my heart went out to all of the families suddenly thrust into the life of homeschool without preamble and with no resources, not to mention the children who relied heavily on their schools for regular meals.

I ached and prayed for my many friends and family who were suddenly without jobs.  We went through an initial financial scare ourselves, but God came through in a major way at just the right time.  Many of our loved ones fell sick, but they recovered. Thank you, Jesus!  We prayed and fasted more together as a family than we ever have.  We spent more quality family time together this year than we ever have.  But perhaps, the greatest blessing of all this year for me was when the Lord raised my mother from her deathbed.  It wasn’t even COVID-19 that got her there. It was a failing liver.  I got to spend over a month with her while she lived with us as I tried to nurse her back to health.  Not only did God completely heal her physically; but He also repaired her broken heart as she was married to a wonderful, God-fearing man this past December.

I’ve watched my girls grow even closer to each other than they already were.  While the rest of the world was on pause, my family strengthened.  Yes, we were inconvenienced.  There was frustration, and even some tears were shed.  Not every day was picture perfect.  In fact, most of them were monotonous and boring at best and downright depressing at worst.  But as I look back over this incredibly challenging year, I see the hand of God.  He stepped in and took over our lives.  He was and still is moving us like chess pieces on a board, all for our good, even when we don’t understand it.

I thank Him for it.

Through the years I have tried to challenge myself to find the good in every situation.  I’m not always successful at it, but I do try to make it a personal habit.  I was dedicated to the Lord as a newborn infant, as was my husband and all four of my children.  So, of course, I want nothing but His will for our lives.  That means letting God be God even during the trials.  That means trusting Him in every situation and leaning not to my own understanding.  That means living a consecrated life of devotion to Him even when I don’t like living that life.

As my mother lay in critical condition in an ICU bed and I was unable to be there with her, I had to pray a prayer of release.  It was a very difficult prayer to pray, especially after losing my father two years ago.  As an only child, I was so scared of being left alone without her.  But I had to let God be God.  And if it was His will to take her, then I had to trust it was the right time.  It was by far one of the most difficult prayers I have ever prayed up until that point in my life, but I did it.  I asked Him to heal her if it was His will, but if it wasn’t His will, to take her with as little pain as possible, much the same way He took Daddy.  Then, little by little, day by day, I watched her slowly regain her strength one terrifying, wobbly step at a time.  I watched her lab value levels slowly decline from lethal to dangerous to borderline to normal.  I watched her skin color slowly change from dark orange to pale orange to yellow to pink.  Her speech went from garbled to slurred to weak to clear and coherent.  I listened to her doctor tell me that she could die at any minute. Then he said that maybe she could get a little better. Later, her recovery was a good possibility. And finally, he said that she was miraculously healed.  And then, the most amazing thing of all happened! Her tears turned to laughter, her profound sadness to utter joy, and her panic to peace as I watched her say her wedding vows to one of the kindest, gentlest men I have ever met.

My God did that.

I know you’ve heard it said many times that hindsight is 20/20; and you’ve probably heard it said by now that, as soon as the clock struck midnight on the first day of January, 2020 was finally hindsight.  But as cliché as it may sound, I want to truly have 2020 vision.  I want to look back over this year and see the order even through all the chaos.  None of this year took God by surprise.  It was all part of His divine plan from pandemics to politics and my house to the White House.  God allowed it to happen.  Dare I say it?  He made it happen.  (Daniel 2:20-22)

I cannot and will not curse this year.  I refuse to join so many others who are talking about throwing it out like yesterday’s trash.  God was too good to me.  I can’t and won’t complain.  This year was a gift, and I will gratefully receive it.  I choose to see it with my 2020 vision.  It is with a thankful heart that I look back, and with great anticipation that I look forward to the balance of 2021.  I have no idea what it holds; but I’m ready for it, whatever it may be.  It’s all about perspective, and I’ve tried my best to adjust mine.  This year has made me step back to take notice of all I have, rather than what I lack.

God help us all to see with 2020 vision.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

attr. St. Dallan Forgaill, trans. Eleanor Hull
Posted on by Delbert Tritsch

An Atmosphere for the Miraculous

A Testimony

Fifty days ago, the Savior of the world drew His last breath on a Roman cross.  We never knew such pain and despair until that dreadful moment when a suffocating blanket of darkness enveloped the world.  Our hearts were broken and our hopes dashed.

I remember so well when He cried out, “Eli!  Eli!  Lama sabachthani?!”  To hear the Hope of My Salvation declare His own forsakenness was more than I could bear.  But I did, somehow.  Unaware at the time, now, I know it was by the strength of the very One I saw disfigured before me.  The Lamb of God at His weakest, yet proving Himself stronger than ever!

But just three days later, He rose from the dead.  I could hardly believe it when I first heard the news; but then, I remembered things He had said about this very thing.  He told us that He would die and rise again, but we didn’t understand…until it actually happened.  My heart was overcome with joy to know that He had risen!

Now, we’re here in Jerusalem in this upper room because Jesus told us before He ascended into the Heavens to wait here for the Promise.  Over one hundred of us are here with one consent, one purpose.  And we’re not leaving until it happens.  Jesus is coming back!

Three Ingredients

About 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, there was an atmosphere for the miraculous.  A group of disciples of Jesus Christ were filled with the hope of His return.  And though He didn’t return in the flesh, He did return in the Holy Spirit.  About 3,000 people were filled with the Holy Ghost, and there was great revival like never before with signs and wonders.

This was a supernatural season wherein God began to pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh and to show Himself strong to His people and through His Church.  Three ingredients were present in that outpouring two millennia ago, and these same factors can produce an atmosphere for the miraculous, today.

God’s Promise

Luke wrote to Theophilus in the book of Acts saying that Jesus “shewed himself alive after his passion” (after Calvary) “by many infallible proofs” and that He was seen alive for forty days and that He spoke “of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).  He recounted how that Jesus had instructed the apostles to remain in Jerusalem and to wait there “for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4).  And Jesus told them that, while John had “baptized with water”, they would “be baptized with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 1:5).

The Lamb of God had paid the price to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin.  Jesus told His disciples in John 14:19 that the world would soon see Him no longer but that they (His disciples) would see Him, and He said that they would live because He lived.  Jesus was speaking of that “promise of the Father” saying that they would discern Him through His return to them as their Comforter, the Holy Spirit of Christ.  Because He rose from the dead, they would also experience new life in Him.  And Jesus said in the next verse, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20).  At that day, they would receive divine revelation and a fulfillment of things that Jesus had been teaching them but that they had yet to experience.

So it was that they were waiting for the promise in an upper room in Jerusalem at that day.  And at that day, they were filled with Holy Ghost and understood the deity of Christ beyond what logic, philosophy, or academics could offer.

The promise from God of the infilling of His Holy Spirit set the stage for the miraculous; and that promise that Jesus made to them, He also made to you and me.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Acts 2:39

Our Unity

Before God’s promise could be realized, the people had to be united.  Acts 2:1 tells us that, as they waited for the promise, “they were all with one accord in one place.”  Acts 1:14 says they “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication”; but in verse 15, Peter interrupted their prayer meeting because he understood that there was a matter that needed to be addressed.  Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus and taken his own life, left a vacancy in the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ; and that void needed to be filled because Scripture required it.

“Peter!  This is not the time to have a business meeting!  We’re in the middle of a prayer meeting!  We’re praying for the promise!”

Sometimes, there is business that needs to be addressed before a prayer meeting can be effective.  If there is anything that may be an obstacle to unity in the body, it must be handled wisely; or you may not see the move of God that He desires for you.  Peter’s wisdom in dealing with things that could have been an obstacle to unity put them on the stage that God’s promise had set for the miraculous.

My Tremble

The atmosphere for the miraculous that existed in that upper room in Jerusalem would move out into the larger Church that was about to be born.  After they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, Peter preached Jesus to the crowd that had gathered outside; and many of them “gladly received his word” and “were baptized”, and “about three thousand souls” were filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:41).

Beyond that glorious day, “they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).  One might expect the excitement to wane or the supernatural intensity to decrease, but it did not.  Acts 2:43 gives a clue as to why this divine move of God continued.

And fear came upon every soul:  and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Acts 2:43

Fear, or a deep reverence and respect, toward God came upon, not just most, but upon EVERY soul.  They were in awe at the presence and power of the Almighty God.  They had their tremble.

God-pleasing unity that births the miraculous can only occur when I have my tremble.  You may think that you’re okay because you believe in God, but that only makes you as good as devils.  James 2:19 says that “the devils also believe.”  But many people today may not even measure up to devils because James said that “the devils also believe, and tremble.”

Where is your tremble?  Where is your awe at His majesty?

I believe that the main reason we don’t see more of the miraculous is because we have lost our tremble.  There is a manifestation of the presence and power of God that will only be realized when a people find their tremble at His majesty.

Job said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom” (Job 28:28).

David said, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalms 111:10).

Solomon said, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”; and he said, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”; and he said, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33).

Solomon said that the “conclusion of the whole matter” and “the whole duty of man” is to “Fear God, and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psalms 2:11

Let all the earth fear the Lord:  let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

Psalms 33:8

The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble…

Psalms 99:1

God provides the promise; we agree in unity; but only I can have my tremble.  And when a people of promise who agree in faith recognize the supreme sovereignty of the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-existing God of the universe and tremble in awe of Him, they will have created an atmosphere for the miraculous.