I have stopped listening to the news before going to bed. Fear and hopeless fill the airwaves, and for many of us, our hearts and minds. Where do we turn for help?
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:1-4).
The foundations of the Christian faith are built upon the unfailing nature of our Lord. God is the Sovereign, All-powerful, All-knowing One who promises to be with us and protect us. God never changes. He is the same today as he was in eternity past. Sometimes, when the present is overwhelming, it serves us well to look back in time and see the amazing faithfulness of God.
Amir Tsarfati, in his book “The Day Approaching,” writes about a time in history after Israel became a nation in 1948. The Arab nations, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq, all attacked this tiny country. These hostile nations did not understand that the God of Israel is a keeper of His word. In this case, the Abrahamic covenant, where God promised descendants to live in the land, was not going to be broken.
“There is no reason that my fledgling country, with its tiny military, should have been able to withstand the Arab onslaught. We had two planes in our Air Force. With one hand, the pilot would steer with the stick, and with his other hand, he would throw out the bombs. We had a total of 5 armored vehicles, and most of our army was made up of Holocaust survivors who had never held a weapon in their lives. Yet they devastated the well-equipped and well-trained Arab countries who came up against them. How? It was God. This was true in 1948 and again in 1967.”
“In another situation, a platoon of Israeli soldiers found themselves in the middle of a minefield. One wrong move could cost the lives of many soldiers. What made the matter worse was that daybreak was not far away. Once the sun came up, they would be exposed and become sitting ducks to the Arab armies. Together, these soldiers prayed for God to intervene. Suddenly, a wind began to blow. It grew in intensity so that the troops had to duck down and cover their eyes and ears from the swirling sand and dirt. This wind blew for 20 minutes. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The platoon, rising from the ground, looked around only to discover that all of the buried mines had been exposed. The soldiers walked out safely just before the sun rose. It was not the power of the Israeli army that brought victory. It was God who put the nations to shame.”
The God who so miraculously intervened in the Israeli wars is the same today and always. One thing is clear; our hope does not come from the government or a vaccine but rather from our God, who is still Sovereign and in control of all things. Now, of all times, is when Christians need to step up and be bold in living, loving, and speaking out about our Lord. Where there is doubt, give assurance that comes only through Jesus and where there is hopelessness, share about your Lord who, in the midst of fear and the unknown, is present with us.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
My God bless you.
Nancy