Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

I will open up rivers

Thursday, December 13, 2018

From Isaiah 41
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, that all may see and know that the hand of the Lord has done this.

In this conversation God has with Isaiah, God does not say, "What's it worth to you?" But quite often when rivers are opened up, bad things happen too.

On Saturday we shopped at the annual UIUC Japan House bazaar. On this beautiful sunny day a large extended family took photos across the reflecting lake with their new baby. Hundreds of other shoppers in love with Japan filled the narrow aisles and small rooms of Japan House. No one seemed to mind the crush. But a friendly volunteer took our quilt and kimono and stored them for us until we were finished. She began offering her help after we heard several crashes in the close quarters.

I found a DVD about the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in east Japan on March 1, 2011. This was the fourth strongest earthquake in recorded history, accompanied by an ocean surge three to twelve stories high. More than a million buildings were partially or completely destroyed. 16,000 people were killed, most of them drowned. 100,000 children were separated from family. 340,000 people were displaced from their homes. Nuclear accidents affected all of northeastern Japan, as far south as Tokyo. The cost, $235 billion, made this earthquake the most expensive natural disaster in history.

No doubt this earthquake opened up rivers. In fact, parts of northeastern Japan shifted by as much as 8 feet closer to North America. The earth's axis shifted between 4 and 10 inches, which shortened the length of a day by 1.8 microseconds and altered GPS readings by as much as 13 feet. In Antarctica, the Whillans Ice Stream slipped by 20 inches.

To our way of thinking, these measurable, predictable catastrophes are an unwelcome but unavoidable part of life on earth. To Isaiah, moments like these are invitations to fix our eyes on heaven. Just watch, and see the hand of the Lord. "I, the Lord will not forsake you."

Within a year, more than 520 billion yen were donated for Japan's recovery. 930,000 people helped in relief efforts. The Afghan city of Kandahar donated $50,000. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il donated $500,000 to Korean residents in Japan. South Korean private donations totaled $37 million. The list of countries, companies and citizens who helped Japan goes on and on.

Out of the suffering comes the rescue. Japan's gracious hospitality and the quiet considerate perseverance of its people collapsed under crushing earth and wave. When the sun reappeared in the sky, many came to lift them up again. As Isaiah said in chapter 45, "Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior."

Lord, there can be so much strength in numbers. When we are all one people, it's clear that you have given us to each other. Forgive my carelessness with other people, Lord, and open my eyes and heart to whoever it is I meet. We need one another, and we need you together. Our lives are knit together, and you are in it all with us, bringing us water and food and rest and energy. "We who wait upon you, Lord, will renew our strength."

Devotions Archive

I will open up rivers

Thursday, December 13, 2018