Q and A

Shock, Awe, and Worship

Responding to God’s Supremacy

by garrett brown

Editor’s note: This devotional is one of a series published by Christian Union Day and Night (www.dayandnight.org) during its recent forty-day fast, hosted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he

has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:25-29 (ESV)

As we fast during this time of global crisis, we wake up each morning to a world that is changing rapidly. The structures, the rhythms, and the pursuits that we all take for granted have been in many ways taken away. We might safely assume these are temporary changes, and yet there may be a lingering wake left behind. We have been changed, shaken.

What we are experiencing now is just a small taste, a preview of the undoing the Lord will one day, in His holiness, extract. And the proper response to this, according to the author of this letter, is worship.

The author of Hebrews calls this to the forefront as he wraps up his powerful treatise on the supremacy of Jesus. The earth was shaken at His command, and once again, things that have been made— including our structures, rhythms, and pursuits—will also be shaken. What we are experiencing now is just a small taste, a preview of the undoing the Lord will one day, in His holiness, extract. And the proper response to this, according to the author of this letter, is worship.

Two thousand years prior, Jacob was waking up to his own undoing. He lied to his father, swindled his brother, and was on the run for his life. Despite his sin, God meets him, giving him a vision of His presence and the assurance of His promise. Jacob, knowing that he wasn’t deserving of the rock under his head, let alone the blessing of God, responds in fearful worship, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God,” (Gen. 28:17). And he named that place Bethel.

I, too, am not deserving of the comforts and the freedoms I enjoy, and I have little right to complain when they are taken away. Far beyond that, who am I to call myself a child of God, save for the grace of Jesus? As he called Nathanael, Jesus Himself claimed to be Bethel, the place where God resides, and He will one day undo all the shakable things in the heavens and the earth, ruling over a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Therefore, in the midst of undoing, we worship Him with reverence and awe.

Lord, I have concerned myself for too long with temporary things, things that do not endure or honor You. Have mercy on me, and be present to me. Let us find hope in crisis, knowing that You come to make all things new, to establish a kingdom that cannot be defiled or spoiled, an unshakable kingdom. And let us worship You for who You are, holy, fearful, and good. Amen. | cu

garrett brown is the director of Caritas, Christian Union’s ministry to students at Stanford University. Garrett is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, where he explored faith from a young age. After studying communications at Biola University, he earned a Master of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology, and, eventually, a Doctorate of Ministry in Theology and Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.

Our Refuge and Strength

God’s Promise: I Am with You!

by laurel copp

Editor’s note: This devotional is one in a series published by Christian Union Day and Night (www.dayandnight.org) during its recent forty-day fast, hosted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habHowever, the Bible does tell of a time when Jerusalem will have a river flowing through the middle of the city.

itation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved. Be still, and know that I am God. The Lord of hosts is with us. - Psalm 46: 1-2, 4-5, 10-11 (ESV)

It might seem like our whole world is falling apart around us. We are facing uncertain times; a pandemic, a volatile market, isolation from friends and family, a shortage of medical supplies, to name a few. These realities cause real fear.

It was in the middle of a similar upheaval that the psalmist wrote the words of Psalm 46. In the midst of disaster, the psalmist reminds the people that they do not have to fear because God promises to be present. When our world seems to be collapsing, we are offered the hope of turning our eyes to the God who promises “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The psalmist goes on to say that there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. Interestingly, Jerusalem doesn’t have a river, only an underground stream. river of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the city. What a beautiful picture of hope!

In the midst of disaster, the psalmist reminds the people that they do not have to fear because God promises to be present.

John, in the book of Revelation, has a vision of the new Jerusalem in new heavens and the new earth. In his vision, a loud voice coming from the throne told him that God will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. Then an angel showed John the

In the midst of pain, suffering, and death, God has promised to be with us and to eventually overcome these things. We do not need to fear, because like the underground stream in Jerusalem that becomes a river flowing through the center of the city, faith in God gives us a deep reservoir of resources for these uncertain days we are facing.

The psalm closes with “Be still and know that I am God.” One day, Jesus went with His disciples on a boat to the other side of the sea of Galilee. After a long day of ministering to great crowds of people, He was sleeping when a storm, strong enough to terrify seasoned fishermen, began to batter the boat. The disciples woke Him in a panic, fearful that they would all drown.

Jesus turned to the storm and told it to “be still” and it obeyed. Then He turned to the disciples and asked, “Why were you afraid?” The disciples wondered, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” The God who rules over nature is with you. The realities of life can be overwhelming, daunting, and scary, but nothing is outside of God’s control. He is with you. When you are scared and anxious, you can call on Him who has promised to be with you.

Eternal God, we thank You for always being with us. Guide our feet as our steps take us into an unknown future. Give us confidence in Your presence and Your faithfulness. We rest in You, Jesus. Amen. | cu

laurel copp is a ministry fellow with Christian Union Libertas at Brown University. Laurel graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts degree in Theology as well as a Master of Arts in Old Testament. Before joining Christian Union’s faculty, she taught Bible and theology at Portsmouth Christian Academy and at Gordon College.

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Seeking Christ in Crisis

A Freshman’s Perspective

by kathe

rine wang , ha rvard ’23

As one who has followed the growth of COVID-19 from its beginnings to its spread across the globe, I have been consumed with worry for relatives living in hot spots, disturbed by empty shelves in grocery stores and the impact on our economy, and grieved by people ridiculing the power of prayer on my social media feeds. This pandemic seems anything but light or momentary. It is difficult to see past our afflictions when we are in the midst of them, but when I take a moment to consider this pandemic in light of eternity, I have realized three things.

First, our God is so much more powerful than a pandemic. Our God spoke galaxies into existence, separated light from darkness, and breathed His life into us— and “these are just the beginning of all that [H]e does, merely a whisper of [H]is power” (Job 26:14 NLT).

He can easily extinguish this virus, yet He has chosen not to. Why? Although we cannot discern the thoughts of God, whose ways are always higher than our own, we know that God has permitted pestilences and disasters in the past. Whether it be the plague on the livestock of Egypt, the pestilence that struck Israel after King David’s census, or the famine in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, God often uses calamities to bring us back to Him.

This brings me to my second realization: we need to repent. It is so easy to equate ourselves with the righteous people that Abraham pleaded for when he asked God to spare the destruction of Sodom— believe me, I have often thought of myself in this way—but this pandemic has taught me that I am deeply sinful. This pandemic has exposed my sin of loving gifts, such as my college experience, more than the giver of gifts.

Praise God that He is willing to discipline me as His own child and to realign my desires so that I might set my heart on eternal, rather than temporary, treasures! In the words of Job, who experienced tragedies that I cannot even begin to comprehend, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21 ESV).

Third, the consequences of not believing in God are much more terrifying and worthy of our attention than the effects of this pandemic. The Gospel of Matthew frames it this way: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 ESV).

Diseases can only harm our physical bodies, but God can destroy both our physical bodies and our souls. The life we have right now is fleeting, merely a shadow of the eternal life that is to come for those who believe in His son. But there are some who cannot imagine anything greater than this temporary life—and we have the privilege and duty to spread the good news to them.

Because of God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and the dreadfulness of being eternally separated from Him, we should live as those who are on a mission to bear Christ to others. Especially during a time of chaos, it is so clear to others when we have a God-given joy and peace. We “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” because we know that we do not belong to this world, but to a heavenly kingdom where there is no more suffering (1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV). We can ask God for a peace

“which surpasses all understanding” and guards our “hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 ESV). As a community, we should emanate our joy and peace to those around us “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4 ESV). There is no better opportunity than this pandemic to demonstrate God’s love to others and to give them a desire to seek more of it by being in a relationship with Him.

Therefore, let each of us serve as a mouthpiece for God. Let each of us be a vessel that pours out His love on others. And let us pray that this tumultuous time will not only help our own faith to grow, but will also allow others to recognize who He is. | cu

kathe rine hang is an emerging leader with Christian Union’s ministry at Harvard College.

Developing Bold Christian Leaders

by god’s grace, culture will be transformed as the lives of our future

leaders and the universities they attend are impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As students who are well-positioned to assume roles of influence learn to seek God, grow in their faith, and develop a thoughtful, Christ-centered worldview, they will be prepared to engage culture in a powerful way. This is at the heart of Christian Union’s work at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

christian union’s ministry to its alumni and their peers, christian union

Cities, develops networks of young professionals in key cultural centers, starting in New York City and Washington, D.C. This model was used by the Lord to bring sweeping change to England through William Wilberforce and the Clapham Circle in the early 1800s. Pray that God will bring similar change to the U.S.

at the heart of christian union’s work is a desire to see a spiritually

vibrant nation. To this end, Christian Union Day & Night calls on believers to seek God wholeheartedly and to pray and fast for our nation.

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Note: In this issue, Christian Union Day and Night's article appears in the feature section on page 6