Gustav Followed by Hannah

Like many in our nation, I was very concerned that Gustav would bring much greater devastation. The name Gustav means, literally, "staff of God." In my spirit I felt that the staff of God was surely heading toward our land to bring the staff, or the rod, of correction. While Americans were distracted by all the hoopla of a politician receiving the accolades and worship of his adoring fans in his mock Greek temple (which by the way bore a striking resemblance to the Temple of Pergamum - see Rev. 2:12-16), Condoleeza Rice once again met with Olmert and Abbas in Israel in a secret meeting intended to finally push through the "Roadmap to Hell" that divides the Land (including Jerusalem). None of the media picked up the story of this meeting - but it did not escape the watchful eye of the Holy One of Israel. He who keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps!


Every time America pushes the division of the land in Israel, a natural disaster quickly follows upon our own soil. Yet, Gustav did not bring the devastation we expected. And Gustav (staff of God) is followed closely by Hannah. So, what does Hannah mean in the Hebrew? It means "favor of God" or "grace." This is really a wondrous thing when you look at it in the Spirit. The rod of God is always followed by the grace of God isn't it? Gustav, followed by Hannah, is spoken of in Hosea 6:1: "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds." The purpose of God's staff - or rod of correction - is always, always to call us to return to Him. And being in God's favor does not always look to us as we might have expected.


When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, He was in God's favor. When he was unustly thrown into prison, he was in God's favor. How could this be? Because all these things had to happen in order for Joseph's ultimate destiny in God's plan to be fulfilled. Even in the midst of slavery, sorrow and imprisonment He was being used as an instrument of God's glory, and in the end he was promoted to second command in all of Egypt - a position that allowed him to store grain for the famine and ultimately save all 70 of God's chosen people, the 12 tribes of Israel.


Gustav (God's staff) comes to us in ways we cannot understand, but it is always followed by Hannah (God's grace and favor). Tonight I think of my friend Pat in Minnesota who is battling cancer. The words of her mouth speak God's praise in the midst of her battle and she gives Him glory. I think of my friend Patty in Florida, who is in financial crisis and now rendered immobile by an accident. In our many phone conversations, she tells how she recognizes God's staff in her life, all the while refusing to give up, knowing that His grace is still with her. And I think of Danny, who attends my weekly Bible studies. He has waited a long, long time for a liver transplant, and is still waiting for red tape and bureaucracy to slowly grind away. In the midst of his Gustav, he sees glimpses of his Hannah, and knows that he walks in God's favor despite - and perhaps because of - his suffering. I can still see his bloated, jaundiced body in front of me as we all read together from Romans 8:23: "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."


Groaning in the midst of Gustav, we wait eagerly for our Hannah - the ultimate redemption of our bodies, transformed by God's grace.