Clearing-the-Fog

Life and history move in cycles. Similar events seem to come around on a regular basis. The events of this week in Israel and the Gaza Strip remind me of similar “earth-shattering” events throughout my 75 years here on earth. There was the cold war standoff between the United States and the USSR. Add to that the angst of the launching of Sputnik by the Soviet. It is ironic that something so common place today as the launching of a satellite brought such fear to our nation. Then came the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The Vietnam War played a key role in changing the face of our nation.

Perhaps you remember when man walked on the moon for the first time, or where you were when Richard Nixon stepped down from office. Don’t forget long gas lines in the 70s. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 left an indelible mark that still impact our nation today. I could go on listing things like the L.A. riots, the George Floyd riots, the various school shootings, fires, earthquakes, and hurricanes. At the time of each incident, we listened with rapt attention to the news; we were just sure this was the ending of the world.

The same thoughts have crossed the minds of many because of the events of this past weekend in Israel. It seems that the foundation of our world has been shaken and the future is even more uncertain. Perhaps we find ourselves looking for a safe place to hide!

The Psalmist expressed similar thoughts in Psalm 11:

Psalm 11:1b–3 (NLT) – “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!  ² The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.  They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right.  ³ The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”

Do you ever feel like the foundations of our society are collapsing? In light of all that is going on these days, that could be an easy assumption. The United States as we know it, seems to be crumbling. The world we are so familiar with, appears to be going up in flames of war and terrorism.

But the psalmist had another take on the situation. He recognized that ultimately Someone was in control when everything seemed to be out of control.

Psalm 11:4 (NLT) – “But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.”

May we be reminded that God is in control and as believers, He holds His children in His hands. The earth may shake and crumble, but our Creator God is will always do right toward us –

Psalm 11:7 (NLT) – “For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.”