I made a trip by air recently. Shortly before takeoff, I called my wife to tell her we would soon be airborne. Fifty-five minutes later, we landed and I switched on my phone to let her know that I had arrived at my destination. Okay, let’s do some time travel to the recent past.
Once upon a time, the conventional way of non-verbal communication was by sending letters via the public postal services (now called snail mail). Letters could take a couple of days depending on the distance between both parties. So, for example, when children left home for school, possibly by road, they would write a letter back home to tell their parents they had arrived safely in school. Parents would look forward to those precious mails from the postman bringing the cheery news of safe arrival at school. They practically had no better means of communication. When telephone landlines became available, travelers would look for any available one to let their folks know they had arrived safely. This was not always immediately possible on arrival, probably because the queues at the phone booths were long, the network was congested or the network was totally out for hours. Anyway, people still managed to wait patiently for those calls from their loved ones. Then mobile phones became common place. Everybody is supposed to have at least one, so you make your calls immediately you arrive. Now there is a problem! People estimate trips and know when you are supposed to arrive and so when that call is not received, they become worried and even more agitated when they try to reach you and cannot get through. Now, how come it was easier for people to wait patiently for those snail mails or even the calls from phone booths, believing all was well and we get so worried these days when there is some silence for a few hours? People could wait in those days without expecting the worst but now the mind goes to work mischievously when there is a little delay. Maybe one of the reasons is the accelerated rate we live our lives these days. The information age thrives on the speed of dissemination of information and changes take place at paces much faster than we sometimes can keep up with. Nowadays, you can stay connected all through your trip and even relieve your experiences along your journey in real time to people thousands of miles away. So have our technological advancements aided our faith life or killed it? Our faith and confidence in God’s goodness, mercies and protection should not waiver under any circumstance. We can trust God more deeply and hang on tenaciously to His faithfulness in spite of whatever.
Next time there is a delay in an expectation, believe God that all is well and that you would still get the best after all. Let not your heart be worried and be anxious for nothing (John 14:1; Phil 4:6).
Let nothing, not even modern day advancements erode our sincere love for God or shake our absolute faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His power. What shall separate us from the love of God or our faith in Him? Not the breadth of knowledge nor the depths or heights of scientific accomplishments in our world(Rom 8:35-39).
Just as the heavens declare the glory of God and inspire praise, let the wonders of science and technology around us inspire worship, faith and love for God (Psalm 19:1). Selah