Out of Control

I am usually a pretty optimistic person: a regular "glass half full, it'll be better tomorrow, stuff's getting better" kind of guy. But I'm having a hard time being optimistic about the way the world is headed these days.

Now, before you jump on my back about how things have always been bad for some folks and about how spoiled we Americans have become and about persecution and destruction being a "reap what you sow" kind of deal, I ask you to take a hard look at the world we live in. I fear that entire nations will cry out before this is all over.

With just a casual glance you will see wars, genocide, and even beheadings making the national and world news; entire communities going up in flames so a few people can "protest" and "make a point" while others -- even their loved ones and neighbors - suffer; borders that don't protect; and leaders who aren't -- or don't.

In fact, even nature seems to be turning against us with intensely severe weather, massive firestorms, and increasing earthquakes in various places. Seems the scripture that refers to the earth crying out for relief might be worth a reread.

It appears we live in a world that is out of control.

Even the "puppet masters" seem to be at a loss in deciding which strings to pull and which strings to cut. They can't seem to control those who are trying so hard to control the world; those who probably are in such a powerful state because of the puppet masters in the first place. The puppet masters have never faced such fierce adversaries. This monster just may be beyond their ability to control.

And when the puppet masters lose control, the rest of us should be very weary.

In our own nation people are preparing for bad and troubled days ahead. Building underground bunkers to protect themselves and their loved ones; stockpiling food, weapons and ammunition for the same reason; wondering if their own government will turn on them and -- if so -- how that might unfold and what it might look like; wondering if the best solution might be revolution; understanding that one individual's stand against tyranny and wrong might not have such a positive outcome.

It's hard to preach a gospel of love during such days of hate and violence and war. It's hard to practice forgiveness in the face of such aggression.

But we are warned in scripture that such days would come.

"And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat it had the name Death; and Hades was following him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth." Revelation 6:8 (NASB)

I don't know what tomorrow holds. The sad thing is we have no way of knowing what might happen between now and the time we lay our heads down to sleep, or before we awake in the morning. We just don't know.

But -- if we believe scriptures we can be assure of one thing: Though we may not know what tomorrow holds, we know who holds tomorrow.

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying; The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15 (KJV)

Amen!