07.21.06
“Wars, and rumors of wars…” Israel and Hezbollah?

Seems like I remember reading about ‘wars & rumors of wars’ being a sign of the ‘last days’ on earth. Oh yeah, it is in the Bible, the gospel of Matthew chapter 24 verse 6… and it is Jesus who spoke those words. Mind you, I’m not making a prediction that ‘the end is coming in ‘40 more days…”.
Elsewhere in scripture Jesus says that no man knows the hour or the day when He will return to judge the earth. But I do believe that we are given front row seats to the conflict in the middle east, particularly the constant warring in Israel, to remind us that God has predicted all of this and He is actively guiding world events according to His perfect plan.
What can we learn from the turbulent events of the middle east? That God is in control, and as He has said in His word, ‘He sees the end from the beginning’. We can only recall the past, and see the present, but God knows and sees all that will occur in our world, since He is actively directing our present and future. That means that we can trust God and believe that all He says is true and accurate. We only have to look at the Bible’s record of predicted events that have come true to give us confidence in all of His word.
It also means that we should not worry… if we have committed ourselves and our future to God, by making His son Jesus to be our savior by trusting in His death and resurrection for our salvation. Our lives are in His hands, He sees us and will allow nothing to harm us that He has not planned. That does not mean nothing bad will ever happen to us, but it means that He allows it and will be with us as we endure suffering and loss.
What will happen in Israel and Lebanon? I don’t know….but God does, and he has a plan for all of the people in that region. I will be watching to see what happens, and praying for the people involved, and hoping that they turn to Jesus before it is too late. Like He said, (He) is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father, except through Him. John 14:6