Distracted by Destruction
Given the current state of the world, we wanted to look to Scripture in times of war, worry, and crisis. In preparing the post, everything sounded very familiar, as if we’ve discussed this very thing over the recent months, and in a quick search of the site, it was found that on December 31, we did a post looking back at 2021. In that glance over the last year, we linked to an article from The Washington Post, published on December 3rd, with the headline: “Russia planning massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, U.S. intelligence warns.” For three months, Vladimir Putin was allowed to amass troops unencumbered and now the world seems to be on the brink of war. These can be scary times but only if we lose sight of where our hope is.
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
“O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.” (Psalm 71:5)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.” (Psalm 27:1-3)
If we remember that our hope is in the Lord, that God, alone, is the source of hope, then we will be filled with joy and peace. When we consider what David wrote in Psalm 27, we have no reason to fear anything or anyone. We have no reason to tremble when evil people come to devour us or when mighty armies surround us. I pray for the Ukrainian people, that our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Christ would remember those words of David, “Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.”
“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” (Matthew 24:6-8)
These are all birthing pains, the pains of labor that will bring about Jesus’ return. When we hear of wars and threats of wars, we would be foolish to give ourselves over to panic and fear. Remember, worrying thoughts dominate the minds of unbelievers (Matthew 6:31-33); we should not worry or fear these times because of our confident hope in Jesus Christ. Don’t allow the destruction and evil in the world to distract you from your hope in Christ. Instead of getting lost in the fear-mongering news media, remember where your hope lies and pray for peace, justice, and wisdom. When we stand firm in our hope and salvation, we will look different from the world and we may be provided with opportunities to share our hope to those who so desperately need it.
“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” (1 Peter 3:15)
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
