Flip Flop

When life brings you flips and flops you must hold onto the truth that the flops can get flipped.  

I’m not talking about the sandals, although I do love my Rainbow flip flops.  Instead I’m looking at something that gets changed around. Flip means to cause to turn over with a sudden movement and flop means a total fail.  We all have those stories when something that you thought was a disaster gets flipped into something great.  It happens at levels large and small.  The cancelled appointment that gives you space for rest or the job you lost that sets you up for something more than you imagined.  This concept often reminds me of the job I didn’t get as a resident assistant.  I was devastated.  I thought I was a perfect fit for that job.  However, another job opened up in the leasing office that turned out to be a much better fit for me.  It felt like a flop, a total fail in that moment.  Yet, not getting that job allowed me to take the other job.  My flop got flipped and turned into something better.  While not all flops get flipped, it happens more than you might think.  The things that feel like a total fail in our lives can take on a whole new hope when we remember they could change into something great.  Let’s start flipping our flops into something great.  

“Come, let us return to the Lord.  For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.”

Hosea 6:1 NASB

One theme we see through the Bible is God flipping death into life.  When He steps into the story the Red Sea parts bringing life to doom; Saul the killer of Christians becomes Paul the one leading people to Jesus; the death of Jesus on the cross brings salvation to all.  Just when it looks like all is lost God reverses it.  He is the great flipper of our flops.  He is in the midst of both our flips and our flops longing to be the one to bring hope and life.  He loves to heal, bandage and restore us to life.  Even the biggest flops that seem unredeemable.  Yes, even those can be flipped.  Here in Hosea there is much impending doom due to the people of God continuing to turn away from Him.  Yet, even in their turning away God is ready to restore if they will only return.  Those are the places God loves to enter.  Just when it looks like all is lost, He revives.  Remember all those times He has restored in the past.  He is still the same God.  Yes, even here in the midst of desolation He can bring new hope and life.  

ideas taken from Old Testament survey teacher notes