2020 03 24 Coffee with Chris You are not in control, but God is

In Coffee with Chris, the speaker emphasizes the importance of staying at home during the current crisis and only using drive-thru, takeout, or delivery services. They discuss how humans try to control things when the world feels out of control, but ultimately, circumstances are out of our control and in God's hands. They mention that the popular verse Jeremiah 29:11 is often misunderstood, and although there are promises in the Bible, Jesus also made it clear that we will face difficult times. The speaker advises following official health authorities' advice and putting trust in God rather than trying to control everything ourselves. Good morning and welcome to Coffee with Chris. Today, I'm drinking A&W drive-thru coffee because I gave Hannah a ride to work, but rest assured this was drive-thru only and I want to remind everyone to stay at home unless absolutely necessary, and only order drive-thru, takeout, or delivery. In times of crisis like we're faced with today, we as humans often try to find something to control. Because the world feels so out of control. Sometimes we do this destructively by trying to control those around us. Other times we do this productively by trying to control things like cleaning our homes or arranging our schedules. But ultimately, we still feel a sense of not being in control of things, like things are out of control. The thing is that circumstances in the world are out of our control, but they're not out of God's ultimate control. While we may not understand why he allowed certain things to happen, we can rest assured that he is good and loves us. One of the verses in the Bible I hear most commonly used out of context is Jeremiah 29.11 and I'm sure we've all heard it in sermons, or songs, or read it on bumper stickers, wall plaques, or fridge magnets. It says, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. This is an important and hopeful verse in the Bible, but by no means is it a promise that God will stop every bad thing from happening to you, or that things won't be difficult at times. Jesus said in John chapter 16, verses 32 to 33, a time is coming, and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone, yet I am not alone, for my father is with me. I've told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. Make no mistake, while there are many powerful promises found in God's word for his people, Jesus also made it equally clear we will face difficult times that we cannot control. In the book of Jeremiah, the famous hopeful verse came after a sobering corrective prophecy, as most biblical prophecies are. Jeremiah had written a letter to the exiled Jews captured by the Babylonians, telling them that though they expected God to change their current circumstances, that God was not going to for another 70 years. But Jeremiah didn't stop there. He went on to the famous Jeremiah 29, 11 verse, speaking about how God has a hope and a future for them. There's no immediate solution that we can control in our current circumstances. Many have tried makeshift attempts at keeping the virus at bay, and in some cases have risked their own lives doing so. Others have ignored the warnings of authorities and treated the virus like it doesn't exist. We cannot be our own saviors, and we also can't ignore our problems. We need to place our trust into God's hands and not our own hands. During this time, please follow the advice of official health authorities and disregard makeshift remedies and advice from people whose jobs are not in the medical field, no matter how well-meaning they may be. Stay home and wash your hands often. Relinquish the false need to control your circumstances and recognize that it's only in surrendering your circumstances, yourselves, and everything to Jesus that we find true peace and allow him to be in control, or rather, to recognize that he already is. I'm praying for you guys always. God bless.