As I awoke in the early hours, I heard “Rise Above the Chaos”. I immediately thought of the day we are in and how so many believers are saying that we are in a time of God shaking all the kingdoms of the earth to reveal the one unshakeable Kingdom of God. There is among many a feeling of uncertainty, confusion, and chaos.
But as I began to ponder these thoughts, I heard, “I am always ahead of the chaos”. The word chaos in Hebrew is tohu and means emptiness, confusion, unreality, formlessness and is the word used to describe the condition of the world in Gen. 1:2. It is that which Holy Spirit “hovered” over and that which He brought order to in Gen 1. It was the “City of Chaos” in Isaiah 24 where the 5 The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive.
Isaiah 24:10–16 (NLT) — 10 The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out intruders. 11 Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land. 12 The city is left in ruins, its gates battered down. 13 Throughout the earth the story is the same— only a remnant is left, like the stray olives left on the tree or the few grapes left on the vine after harvest. 14 But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the LORD’s majesty. 15 In eastern lands, give glory to the LORD. In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 16 We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth, songs that give glory to the Righteous One!
God is always ahead of the chaos. God is always prepared and there are a people who are being prepared to deal with the chaos. How do we identify those people? These are people who know the joyful shout and know how to praise the Lord God of Heaven in the midst of chaos.
We look at our world today and it looks much like the day of Isaiah, but there is reason for great joy as there is a remnant today who is shouting praises of joy to our God. Why can this remnant shout praise? Because this remnant, like in the days of Isaiah, understands the covenant and the faithfulness of its God.
God is always above and ahead of the chaos for the sake of His remnant. When the floods were called upon the earth, God had already called a Noah. When the famine was brought upon Egypt and Israel, God had already called a Joseph. When the Israelites cried out for the slavery to end, God had already called a Moses. When God’s first choice was King Saul and Saul had chosen the favor of the people over God, God had already called a David. When the prophets of Baal seemed to overtake the land and evil Jezebel was reigning over her weak husband, Ahab, God had already called an Elijah. When the Jews were soon to be annihilated, God had already called an Esther. And when mankind sinned in the garden, God had already called a Redeemer. God always has been and always will be ahead of the chaos.
We too must rise above the chaos, or we will be drawn into it and instead of giving shouts of joyful praise, our mouths will be filled with the despair of the woes of the earth we live in. How do we rise above the chaos? We must remember where we are seated. Eph 2:6 tells us that we are seated in the heavenly realm, united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:20-22 tells us this seat is at the right hand of God and far above all powers and principalities; rulers and authorities; and any name that can be named in the ages to come. We have much to praise God for regardless of the world around us.
Who has God called ahead today? He has called us, His Ekklesia, the sons of God in the earth who understand our role and responsibility. He has called His body, His church, His Kingdom representatives to hover over the chaos with our Biblical decrees, prayers and declarations declaring His faithfulness in these times of confusion in the world. As we look back through history, it was only those who carried the Presence of God that could dispel the evil darkness and destruction plotted by the enemy of God. Joseph was a righteous man whose soul was tested by the Word of God (Psalm 105:19). Moses was the friend of God who required a veil to cover the glory of God on his face (Exodus 34:33-35). David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Elijah was the great prophet who single handedly, with the power of God, cast down 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Esther was called “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), and Jesus was the Lamb of God, slain from the very foundation of the earth for mankind (Rev 13:8).
His Ekklesia has been called ahead and the gates of hell will not overpower it (Mt. 16:17-19). Where are you seated today? Are you above the chaos or in the midst of it? How would you know? Our mouths will always reveal our position. Is our language the language of praise, joy and the Kingdom of God or is our language the woes and despairs of the world we are in. Jesus said, “from the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak” (Mt. 12:34). What has filled our hearts today? Fear? Despair? Confusion? Or, are we confident in the God we serve and the promises of His Word?
When Holy Spirit hovered over the earth and all its chaos, He was waiting on God to speak, “let there be…” (Gen. 1:3). God’s Words brought order into the earth and the Holy Spirit moved on those words. All the great prophets spoke the Word of the Lord into their situation. Jesus said we bind and loose what is bound and loosed already in heaven, where the will of God reigns (Mt. 16:19). Psalm 103:20 tells us the angels of God are released to bring about the spoken Word of the Lord, his Rhema revelation into the earth. The world needs to hear a “now” word from God and He speaks that word through His people.
Do not stay in the midst of chaos. Rise above it with your words of faith. Declare the goodness of the Lord and rest in the covenant He has made with us through our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. His Word Never Returns Empty (Isa. 55:11)!
