As I sit here early this morning, I have a very different feeling and sense about what is happening all around me. When I sat down I took out my Bible, as I always do, and began to read. This is a good opportunity to encourage you to read God’s Word first every day before you read or even do anything else. It sets the ground work for the day. It gets you started in the right direction. It gives you strength and peace that you will need, trust me.
After a time of reading my Bible and praying over the growing list of people with Covid or other needs I started to familiarize myself with what is going on around the world. I wasn’t surprised, but I was certainly awed by some of the things I read. What they were is not important but what they represented set my head and heart for why I am writing this blog today.
Recently a dear friend and brother in Christ posted this verse from John’s account in Revelation 22:20 and I am using the NLT “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”.
In the past, I have eluded to the fact that we have come to a place in history where news and what is happening in other places is instantaneous. Without listing all the methods here, let it suffice that we get information too fast and to use the term “bombarded“ would not be incorrect.
We simply cannot process the information and thus we cannot ever have the opportunity to investigate, beyond the headline, what has really happened and why, Last year, you know before Covid, we went to Tennessee with a couple of families from the church I was pastoring for a week of vacation. It was great and we had a marvelous time. We hung out, we went shopping and sightseeing.
One of our sightseeing trips was to the Biltmore House In Asheville. We had not been there in years and it was so wonderful to be there again. At the same time we visited, there was a traveling exposition from the Downton Abbey series. We knew the name but nothing of the series or the story behind it. We knew of the history of the time and what went on but really not the very real and specific stories of life at that time. It all dates back to the early 20th century and even though that was just over 100 years ago a lot has changed.
The takeaway I have had is that just 100 years ago in order for information to be known even across the country it would take time. Weeks at the least for the information, such as a letter to make its way from New York to San Francisco. To say nothing of the time it would take for the letter to make its way to say London. By this being the case, even the news of the day was something that took time to be known by all.
What was happening in between the transmittal and the receipt of the letter to someone or the news of the day? The answer is simply life. People were living life and enjoying it as best they could with whatever the circumstances they were facing that day.
I fear we have or at the very least are losing the opportunity to live life. There has maybe never been in my life time one that has been as challenging as these to live life. Now there are many reasons why, but one of the most prevalent is the speed in which we receive information. That is good and in many situations we need quick answers. Doctors need it, law enforcement needs it, parents need it. It is what and how we process the information that is important.
Earlier I mentioned headlines. We don’t seem to be able to get past the headline today. There is little to no investigation into whether it is true, partly true or even false. Today, if it is the headline it is true. Not so fast. Even the headline should be investigated and then continually so.
We are never going to back to the “good old days”. If we were honest about that, they probably were not that good anyway. As such, what I see happening simply points me back to the Word of God. I believe the Word to be true. God’s Word to us to live by and to use as a guide in life. So, we are not going back to how it used to be. I wanted to enumerate what I am thinking but it came to me that you all probably already know what that list would be like. Some of you would have thought your list was better any way.
In Psalm 90:12 it says “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”. I find that the older I get the easier that is to do. I like how C. S. Lewis put it when he said: “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.”
So here is a perspective that might help you in light of all that is going on. Jesus is coming back and it is sooner than you think. I mentioned that earlier in this blog. Paul told the Christians in Ephesians 5:15-16 to “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”.
These are definitely evil days and they are going to get even worse. In the dictionary the word between worse and worst is worship. Worship Him everyday in how you live your life. He will be glorified and you will be blessed. Therefore, in what seems like the worse situation that is leading to what you think is possibly the worst, pause and worship God. As His Word tells us to do it ”in Spirit and truth”.
Remember Revelation 22:20 and I used the NLT “He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”.
A thought to ponder,
Elbert Nasworthy
