Just Another War

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but don't panic... 
Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.
​But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 
Matthew 24:6-8 NLT

It has been a year since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine... 

But as the days march onward and as the war continues, I think that much of the world has become apathetic about it. It's not that people don't care, because they do. But what was once "Breaking News" with reports of bombings and destruction, has now become repetitious and routine. Nowadays, such reports generate little more than an indifferent shrug or a yawn.

As one who follows the news, I think it is human nature to become complacent with stories that get repeated over and over. There's something about our attention spans that causes us to discount repeated reports and warnings. We're attentive when we first hear breaking news, but as the days go by, I think many of us begin to tune it out.

This may also be true with spiritual matters as well. Such as the words Christ gave, first to his followers while he was with them on the Mount of Olives, and later to all who would read those very same words that have since been recorded in the holy Bible. How that a time of trouble awaits humankind, and that we are to watch for it, and be spiritually prepared for it.

In both the Old and New Testaments, this yet to come period is referred to as the "time of tribulation" or the "end times." In the Old Testament, for example, it is also referred to as the "day of the Lord" or the "latter days," and "the day of trouble." 

There is coming a future day of judgment. The Bible gives us a list of signs to watch for. And as time goes on we see these signs increasing in number, duration and intensity. May we therefore recognize what the Word of God says and seek to get our hearts right before him.

May we not become complacent when we hear about wars, earthquakes, floods or famine. God forbid we just shrug these things off as if they were of no significance. But may we instead see such events as wake-up calls of what is ahead.

God's word is true, and we must heed what it says. As the psalmist declared, "Your word, O Lord, is a lamp unto my feet, and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105).

D.B.