Overcomers
When I am afraid I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3
I recently read a headline asking if God is calling California to repent with fires. (https://theworldview.com/#!news_broadcasts/is-god-calling-california-to-repent-through-fire). In it Kevin Swanson points out that with the fires and 12,000 lightning strikes there has been no mention of God or the need for repentance in any of the hundreds of news stories.
Mr. Swanson points us to Amos 3:6, “Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?”
Another article points to what is happening with several churches in California and says, “Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has banned indoors services, reciting the Lord’s prayer, and praising God by song. The order also extends to Bible studies.”
WHAT? “Reciting the Lord’s prayer?” I laughed and then repented of the laugh. This is truly not funny. This is way too much overreach. It scares me to think where this is headed as no man has authority to stop us from reciting any prayer or sing praises to our God.
Where does my (our) confidence lie? Do I believe, as I have most of my life, that trends that start in California quickly move East or do I believe that in God’s sovereignty, He is at work in ways I cannot see? Even in judgment, He is just and good.
When we look at what is happening in our nation we have to consider God’s judgment on a lot more territory than California. A pandemic (real or imagined, the whole world is dealing with it), riots, bloodshed, chaos in many cities, ever increasing demand for abortions and homosexual marriage, the political dividing lines that will worsen as we approach November 4th, and the fear of facing the aftermath of the elections regardless of who wins.
Fear of the judgment of God is logical and reasonable. Our response to that fear needs to be measured by our faith. Or, perhaps our faith is being measured by our responses to what the Lord is doing in our nation.
There is ultimately victory coming for the Lord and His people. However, like Habakkuk and many other prophets, we will see the evil and the violence (Habakkuk 1:2-3) and live through the judgment with those who need to understand that it is judgment. The longer we are silent, the longer it will take for others to see the truth of what is happening.
If we want things to change in a world where the media doesn’t mention sin or repentance we need to speak the Truth to anyone who will listen. Recognizing that God does not need us, are we willing for Him to use us to deliver His Words to the world? It takes deep, abiding, overcoming faith.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
Is our faith obvious enough and strong enough to overcome the world?