Reflection to Insight

I’m sure that many of you have heard about the recent conflicts in Israel and the war they are in. From studying the Bible and reading history, we can see that conflict in the Middle East has existed for many centuries. The Word of God explains that it all started with Isaac and Ishmael, Abraham’s two sons. And generationally the conflict has continued to exist.

Genesis 16:10-12 (NIV): “The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.’ The angel of the Lord said to her: ‘You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.’”

The above verses describe the future tension that would sit between Isaac and Ishmael, due to Abraham not originally handling things as he should have.

God still loved Ishmael, but it was his original plan for Isaac to be the one His inheritance would come through.

Because Abraham moved ahead of God’s timing in having a son, Ishmael was born before Isaac. As the two grew up it was clear even then that conflict sat between both brothers.

Within the last couple weeks, the devastation and war in Israel has escalated to a much greater degree than it seemingly has been.

I could write to you about all of the political actions being taken, and the potential moves politicians and world leaders are trying to implement here in the US, as well as over seas. But honestly, I don’t think that’s the most beneficial thing to focus on right now.

In this post, I want to look at this situation from a Biblical and Spiritual perspective.

If you’ve read my articles in the past, you know I try to tie everything back to God. All in an effort to better understand His love, wisdom, and character. So doing that in this post is a no-brainer, especially given the topic and current events happening around us.

If you read in the book of Revelation, you’ll find that it details many different phenomenon regarding the end times. Many have tried to decipher when Jesus will return, when the battle of Armageddon will take place, and much much more. Admittedly it’s extremely difficult to do this, and truthfully, none of us really know.

Mark 13:32 (NIV) says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

In this chapter in Mark Jesus talks about end times, and many different events that will unfold. I highly recommend reading this for yourself, as well as the book of Revelation. It’s pretty interesting stuff.

Many are speculating that recent tragedy in Israel is a sign for what is to come. Some of which reflecting prophecies detailed in Revelation.

Though none of us know when the world will end and Jesus will come back, and we don’t know what political moves will happen, disasters, etc., we can still turn our focus to Jesus. If we do this, it will allow us to perceive everything that is happening in our world through a lens of peace. There’s a lot of tragedy and crazy happening. Much of which we cannot control.

But what we can do, is pray. Pray for those being hurt in Israel and the conflict there. Pray for our Nation and the decisions that our leaders may make. Pray for the safety of our citizens in the coming months and years. We can also make sure we’ve come to terms with God within our own personal lives.

I don’t want to sound all doomsday like, but I definitely think the incidents of this week are a wake up call. It’s so easy to focus on the everyday demands and responsibilities we have. To completely forget and neglect our spirit man and relationship with Jesus. We get distracted with work, hobbies, school, social life, politics, and all other aspects, and we forget the most important thing of all.

If I may be so bold, maybe we do this intentionally. It’s not comfortable to always think about the afterlife and who Jesus really is to us. Doing this forces us to ask the hard questions, and come to terms with a spiritual realm existing around and beyond us. Trust me, I get it. I’ve had moments like this throughout my own life and journey towards growth.

But I promise you, taking the time to consider these truths and where you stand will be very rewarding in the end.

My encouragement to all of you is to stay up to date with the events that are happening. But don’t get lost in it. There’s a lot of information floating around, and sometimes it’s hard to know who’s telling the truth and who’s fibbing. But if you let God provide insight, He’ll help you see the truth of what’s really taking place.

I also encourage that you make peace with God and come to an understanding with Him about what He means to you. I want to point you all towards His love, because I’ve experienced how life changing intimacy with Him can be. When you allow Him to be your Savior from sin and ask Him to be Lord of your life, it changes everything.

It isn’t always easy, and it requires a huge amount of humility. By doing this, you’re surrendering everything that you are into His hands. You’re letting Him be the Master of your life. This doesn’t mean that you lose your free will and ability to think critically. But it does put you in a position where you’re going to do your best to follow God’s directive and wisdom. Following Him over your own desires and insight.

Again, this is not easy. But it’s extremely rewarding. We’re blessed through the love Jesus has for us, and the ways He provides in our lives. Doing it His way may not make sense, but He sees things we don’t. He’s got wisdom that we don’t possess. If we know and believe that He is good, and He is loving, we can trust that whatever He is drawing us to is for our good. But in order to trust in His love and goodness, it takes building a relationship with Him in prayer and study of His Word.

In all of this chaos, I ask that you seek the Path of Peace. Don’t let fear and paranoia consume you. Hopefully this will be a conflict that resolves soon. Jesus can do anything, and it is only through Him that this will come to a peaceful close. However, if things get much much worse before they get better, stay calm. Trust in our Good Shepherd. Trust that He will provide, and let Him guide your steps.

Those who belong to Him don’t need to fear. Everything will eventually climax to where it’s Jesus against Satan and the forces of evil. Really, it’s always been this way since sin first came to be. There isn’t a third option or in-between. We all must decide which side we will stand with. In the end, Jesus wins and creates a paradise, Heaven, where there is no more pain or death. A place where we celebrate and live in His love and presence for all eternity. The Lord loves you, and He wants you on His team. He wants to collect you from this earth when it’s time for His return. All that is asked and required is that we surrender our life to Him and let Him redeem us.

I love you guys, and I hope you have a blessed day; peace out.