I want to speak to you from something that’s burning in my heart. I've been watching the headlines, praying through the chaos, and feeling the weight of what many of you are carrying.

I remember preaching just after COVID restrictions began to lift. Church doors had been closed. Sanctuaries were silent. The pulpit sat still while the people of God watched online from their couches. And though our gatherings were paused, the chaos outside only intensified. Riots broke out in city after city. Mistrust in government, division among neighbors, confusion, and fear—it all felt like the world was unraveling.

And here we are again in many ways.

Today, our headlines are screaming with the ongoing war in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Israel and Gaza are still locked in bitter bloodshed. Russia continues its devastating assault on Ukraine. Even our own cities aren’t immune—schools, grocery stores, even churches have become the backdrop of violence. You’ve probably seen the reports: another mass shooting. Another protest turned violent. Another leader caught in scandal. Another economic shakeup. It’s exhausting. It’s chaotic.

But let me remind you of Isaiah 45:18 (NLT): “For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. ‘I am the Lord,’ he says, ‘and there is no other.’”

This Scripture is an anchor.

See, we may be surrounded by confusion, disorder, and noise, but our God didn’t design this world to operate in chaos. He brings order from it. That’s His nature. That’s His power.

Chaos isn’t new. It’s as old as creation itself. The Bible opens with chaos: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). And what did God do? He moved. He spoke. He brought light into darkness. He brought land out of waters. He took disorder and made a masterpiece.

That’s the same God who’s working in our lives today.

Let’s be honest—chaos doesn’t just happen out there in the nations. It hits home too. It’s in the marriage that started with love but now feels like war. It’s in the teenager who used to be all giggles but now locks themselves in their room, battling things you can’t even see. It’s in the financial stress, the empty pantry, the stack of unpaid bills, the medical report that changes everything. It’s the quiet ache you carry when the prayers you’ve prayed haven’t been answered yet.

We’re in a season where stress is high and hope feels low. The systems we used to trust—governments, banks, leaders—are shaking. But here’s what God dropped into my spirit: Chaos is often the place where God does His best work.

Think about it—creation came from chaos. Light came out of darkness. Dry land out of stormy seas. Healing came when there was sickness. Miracles showed up at funerals. Peace came in the middle of storms.

So maybe—just maybe—the chaos isn’t our enemy. Maybe it’s the canvas God is about to paint His glory on.

I’ve seen it firsthand. During the pandemic, when our church couldn’t gather, I worried. Would people drift away? Would they come back? But then Easter came, and our livestream reached over 1,000 people—people who wouldn’t have stepped foot into our building otherwise. God used chaos to expand our reach. He multiplied the message. The devil thought he could shut the church down, but God said, “Watch Me work.”

Psalm 46:6 says: “The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!” I love that. When God speaks, the things that looked permanent begin to melt. The kingdoms of this world aren’t final. The White House isn’t on the throne. The Kremlin isn’t on the throne. God is on the throne.

Let me say it plainly: Chaos does not disrupt God. It sets the stage for Him.

Jesus is still Alpha and Omega. That means He’s not just the God of the peaceful ending—He’s the God in the messy beginning. He was God when the pandemic hit, He’s God in the aftermath, and He’ll still be God when this generation writes history books about all we’re living through right now.

Some of you are praying for God to fix the chaos in your life and ministry. That’s good. But let me challenge you—what if God wants to use the chaos first? What if He’s not just going to calm the storm, but speak through it? What if your greatest testimony is being formed in the furnace of what feels like failure?

My brother Rick came to Jesus through a chain of painful events—a broken leg that led to a blood clot that led to a life saving heart surgery, that led to a stroke. It was chaos. But on the other side of that chaos, I stood in the water and baptized him in the name of Jesus Christ. That chaos became the doorway to my brother's salvation.

Pastor's and Church Leaders, I believe we’re living in the last days as I am sure many of you do. The headlines read like the book of Revelation. Pestilence, division, war, hatred, betrayal, and fear are running rampant. But that only tells me one thing: Jesus is coming soon.

So what do we do?

We pray. We worship. We show up. We reach out. We love louder. We speak truth, even when it’s unpopular. And we stand with confidence, not because the world is calm, but because our King is still on the throne.

When the nations rage, He isn’t rattled. He’s ruling. When kingdoms crumble, He remains. When chaos surrounds us, He speaks peace.

So I encourage you—don’t let the chaos win. Don’t let fear get the final word. God is in the chaos. And He’s not done working.

About Pastor James Smith

Pastor James Smith, Valparaiso, Indiana – Founder of PreachIt.org, OpportunityHope.org, and PastoralHelps.com.

He equips pastors worldwide with sermons, leadership tools, and encouragement, while also caring for orphaned and at-risk children in West Bengal, India through OpportunityHope. Beyond the orphanage and school, OpportunityHope provides clean water wells, livestock, and other humanitarian helps to families and villages in need. Additional books, leadership training, and mentoring resources are available through PastoralHelps.com.