Hamas-Israel War
It’s hard to believe that any group of people could attack another group of people and commit such horrifying results. I personally cannot look at the pictures and read the accounts of how so many people have been brutally executed. I have so many Jewish friends who are hurting. It’s time to eradicate antisemitism in the whole world!
Just two weeks ago, I watched a play entitled, “Til We Meet Again.” It was about some people from Opelika who were saved from the Holocaust in Germany. The lead character was a friend of mine as I was growing up—Henry Stern. He never mentioned the horrors that he witnessed and the danger from which his family was spared, but that play impacted me because it was about people I knew growing up in Opelika. Then this war happened.
I can’t imagine the feelings right now of so many people who don’t know about the safety of their friends and families in that part of the world. Here are some observations:
- Because of sin, mankind is capable of doing horrific acts. People don’t like to refer to sin today, but this was a huge demonstration of sin. The Bible is clear that each of us has sinned. (Romans 3:23) We know that sin separates us from God, and that opens doors for humans to do things that are unimaginable.
- Nobody is really safe in this world in which we live. I know some people who settled in that area of Israel because it was a safe place. What happened was the last thing they ever expected. What about us in America? How safe can we feel in any given place?
- How could such an attack happen with the highly sophisticated intelligence and defense systems deployed by the Israeli government? The USA and other countries also had surveillance systems for intelligence, and they were not activated. How can this happen? The Bible says, “unless the Lord guards a city, the guard keeps watch in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) The best military, the best defense system, the best intelligence gathering schemes, can be breached.
- The attack appeared to come at a time when Israel had “let its guard down.” An attack was the last thing they expected. Many were engaged in religious observances, which probably made them more vulnerable. This reminded me about how easy it is to get distracted and engaged in a lot of good things and we let down our guard and the enemy Satan can attack us. If sin and Satan would wear a red suit with a big pitchfork, it would be noticeable. Satan’s tempting invasion usually comes when nobody recognizes who he is or what he’s up to. Deception is not only a tactic of battle, but it’s probably the biggest tactic that Satan uses.
- Not everybody thinks alike about this war. The only way that we can live together in harmony is to understand that God created us, has a divine plan for our lives, and it will take a lot of commitment, faith, and forgiveness for us all to get along. God’s way is the only way!
- World War III could happen at any time. I pray with passion that that will never happen. It could be a war that would end all wars. The only thing that can change that possibility is for the hearts and minds of people to change. The only One that can make that change is God. We must turn to Him!
- What’s happening on a global scale is played out in the communities in which each of us live. It’s a different scale—but the same nature of sin is found in different ways.
- It’s time to stand with Israel! It’s time for prayer and revival in the whole world! It’s time for God’s biblical directives for love, peace, justice, forgiveness, and commitment! While most of us cannot go to that part of the world to help, it’s time for us to do what we need to do in our own community!
It’s time to stand!
