“And when you hear of wars and rumors of
wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the
beginning of the birth pains.” (Mark 13:7-8, ESV)
Today,
we are certainly not in short supply of tragic events. I am unsure if these
occurrences are becoming more frequent or if the media simply chooses to focus
on them. At any rate, we hear of such things and are affected by them in one
way or another. Maybe, you the reader, have personally experienced a tragic
event in your life. For the majority of us, we have been alarmed by what we
have heard. We hear of the tragedies of war, terror, and natural disasters.
Even our countries political climate has some forecasting the downward spiral
of this nation, which is cause for major concern. Current and projected tragedy
grips our hearts and paralyzes our minds.
When
the Roman Empire fell in 476 A.D., most Christian believed the end of the world
was imminent. People were convinced that life was over. However, once things
settled down and the dust cleared, the community of faith continued to be just
what it was called to be, to tell of and demonstrate the love of God through
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The community of faith gathered itself together and
began feeding those starving, taking care of the sick, and preaching the Gospel
to the poor.
Every
one of us will be affected by tragedy in some way, and as Jesus puts it, life
will seem hopeless during those moments. But the promise of the Gospel says
that tragedy does not have the last word in this world. In fact, there is
nothing that can ever happen where God’s grace and mercy will not be made
evident.
IronMaker’s Daily Challenge: Jesus
said that wars, the rise and fall of nations, natural disasters, and loss of
life will continue to happen until he comes back to reconcile all things unto
himself. How strong will your trust in Jesus be when the next tragedy occurs?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help those who have been affected by
tragedy, and may You use me to respond in such a way that reflects Your nature.
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