Dear Southern Gables Friends,

A few weeks ago, one of my friends mentioned taking his kids to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza and games. Since my kids are grown and gone, I have not been there in years. He told me about a game I had never heard of called "Whac-A-Mole." The game is played in a large, waist-level box with five holes in its top and a large, soft, hammer. The kids stand in the center of the playing field and moles come up out of the holes. The goal is to whack the moles and keep them in the ground.

As the game starts, only one mole comes up at a time. But then it gains speed. You whack one and two more come up,then four come up. Soon there are moles all over the place. As the game ends, the kids are whacking everywhere, trying to keep the moles down, but there are too many of them. The game ends in frustration with some very tired kids!

Sounds like life, doesn't it? As we age, the number of problems and worries seem to accelerate. Marriages, kids, house payments, jobs, businesses and the pressures of modern living seem to gather speed. Difficult people and bad decisions happen. The economy, the world situation and earthquakes swirl around in our minds. Then health issues and disease come. At some point, most of us get overwhelmed because there are moles everywhere and our ability to whack them is faltering.

Twila Paris, the singer and songwriter, wrote about being overwhelmed a few years ago. She was feeling anxious about what was happening in the world. She says: "I don't even remember exactly what was going on. I was probably watching too much news." Driving to her mother's house which was thirty minutes away, the anxiety almost overwhelmed her. Most of us can understand, can't we?

In the silence of the car God spoke to Twila's heart. "He said, 'Just remember, people do what they will, but at the end of the day I'm the One with the ultimate authority. Remember that I am in control.' ""Oh, yeah, God is in control," Twila mused with a certain degree of cynicism like most of us feel from time to time. She thought this overused phrase was almost a cliché. But as Twila meditated on the meaning of those four words God is in control, the peace of Christ began to fill her heart. For the rest of the drive, Twila's heart was at rest with the simple but profound truth that God was taking care of every problem and circumstance. Her mind stopped spinning the pictures and the problems. She saw God high and lifted up, sovereign and real, powerful and mighty and able to handle everything.

Soon, Twila she found herself humming a tune that God gave her. "I usually write at the piano, but the words of the chorus came to me before I got to my mom's house. God met my need in the form of a song." Twila Paris admits that when she wrote the song she was thinking of big world events. But after she recorded it, people have thanked Twila for a song that spoke to them as they faced their individual crises and challenges.

Dear friend, when this truth is applied to life-events on a large-scale as well as on the small issues of your personal life, I know that God will bring you His peace. He has given it to me many times in recent years. To simply know with assurance that God is in control of your finances, your career, your health, your marriage, your children and grandchildren is the most profound thing I have ever discovered. I have known it in theory and in theology, but just like Twila, the truth of this had not touched my worrying and my despair. When you make it part of your life, things will never be the same.

Folks, God is in control!! Grasp it! Believe it! Claim it! Broadcast it! As I have faced rough times myself, the lyrics of the song that Twila wrote that day have helped me so much. This one song, "God is in Control" is from her Beyond A Dream album. It has helped me remember the biblical concept of the sovereignty of God. It has helped me cope with confusion, worry and despair.

Here is the chorus to that song:

God is in control.
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him
We know, oh, God is in control
Oh, God is in control.

Dear friend, as you try to sort out the economy, the world situation and the issues of your life, it is easy to despair. Remember the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-30, 33).

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. "And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? … So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. … Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, … and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (The New Living Translation)

When people around you are crying, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" that is when you might break into Twila's song. When worry and anxiety get you out-of-control, that is when you remember that He is in control. When things are crazy and chaotic, that is when you can submit to the sovereign rule of God. Remember, God is in control.

Look to God in faith for His direction and help. Rely upon Him for strength and courage. Fight the temptation to worry and despair with confidence in the sovereignty of God. Worship Him privately and daily in Bible reading, prayer and meditation. Claim His promises from the Scriptures and hide them in your heart. Worship with His people each week at Southern Gables Church. Never forget that God is in control of every detail of your life!

That brings me to this Sunday. We will begin a four-week series from Genesis 37-50. I am calling the series "Stuff Happens." This familiar and powerful story from the life of Joseph has tremendous lessons for Christ-followers and seekers alike. The "stuff" that happened to Joseph can teach us how we can live with wisdom, peace and faith in a messy world. Come, learn, and grow with me for these four weeks. While studying and meditating on these 13 chapters for the last several weeks, God has shown me some incredible lessons that I want to pass on to you. My message this week is titled, "Sin Happens." You might read Genesis 37 and 38 in preparation for Sunday. Come for the worship and the fellowship, stay for the message!

See you this Sunday for worship! Bring a smile, a Bible, and an open mind to let God talk to you. Remember, we have two worship choices for you:

• 9:00 AM Worship — praise, worship, and songs of the faith
• 10:30 AM Worship — songs of the faith, praise and worship

I love being your pastor for a while longer!

mplatt@sgc.org