MATTHEW 24:6
6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
JOHN 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
DON'T BE ALARMED?
War is alarming, isn't it? People are dying. People are suffering. If you listen to the news streams and analysts’ projections the current conflicts that we hear so much about are unlikely to end anytime soon, that it actually could be catastrophic. It could go global. Things could get much worse.
It is light of this messaging, that I wanted to share with you today something from God’s word, the Bible. Now when you hear about wars or rumors of wars starting, that phrase may trigger in your mind something that Jesus once said the week before he died. In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke these words. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. But see to it that you are not alarmed.” All right. Yeah. It's going to happen. Wars are going to break out. There are going to be threats of other wars breaking out. Jesus says see to it. Make sure. Work hard, do everything you have to do so that you are not alarmed. So that you don't panic. So that you don't worry about it so that you don't lose the peace that Jesus wants to give to your heart.
Now that seems totally unreasonable, doesn't it? I mean if I'm just the guy scrolling on my phone, here in Canada, OK, maybe I can keep from being alarmed. But for people. For families. For those living in a war zone, Jesus are you serious? See to it that you are not alarmed? How can that be?
There are literally expecting mothers whose water is breaking as they sit in a bunker and bombs explode around them, their homes destroyed, food shortages, medication and medical care disrupted, families separated, sorrow and grief gripping the hearts of those who didn’t start a war, didn’t want a war. See to it that you're not alarmed.
While at first, it does seem like Jesus words are unreasonable for us. Think back to the prayer of our devotion yesterday. Did you notice the way each petition began?
God of Comfort
God of Justice
God of Love
God of Hope
God of Mercy
God of the Nations
Strengthen our faith in you, O God of All Flesh
Each petition focused on God. A God who is constant, and a God who is good, a God who is present in the midst of this broken world. A God who always hears our prayers, a God who is merciful, a God who is loving, and a God who is forgiving. A God who strengthens.
I wonder if that is not the place to start when “we don’t have clear answers”? We “lift our eyes up to the mountains, where does our help come from? Our help comes from you, maker of heaven creator of the earth.”
With the focus on our creator, let us open our Bibles and read the good news. Before our hearts and minds get swept up and alarmed by the wars and rumors of wars. Let's fix our eyes on the God who sent his only son to be our Prince of peace. Jesus himself said just a few days later to his friends in that upper room. "I've spoken these things to you so that in me you might find peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. Don't be alarmed. Don't lose your peace. Take heart. I have overcome the world."
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