Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
The Australian bush poet Patrick Joseph Hartigan wrote a funny poem about a pessimistic character named Hanrahan. Everything Hanrahan talked about was a doomsday warning. “We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan, “Before the year is out” was his constant response to anything that was said with a positive outlook or hopefulness towards the future. As I listen to the dire predictions of the twenty-seventh or thereabouts wave of the worldwide pandoomic destroying our society as we know it, I cannot help but think of Hanrahan and his alarming warning of, “We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan, “Before the year is out.”
The fearful and alarming events happening these days should not come as a shock to those who read their bibles on a regular basis. The word of God clearly explains that there will be earth-shaking events that will paralyze the hearts of many because of the numerous world catastrophes that are taking place these days. Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. One of the indicators revealing the end times is that the love of many would grow cold. Matt. 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. The sad thing is that this coldness is also seeping into the church. I believe this is vexing the Holy Spirit.
It is difficult for people to be kind, or even optimistic because the fears within nations are being felt on a world scale. This catastrophic global epidemic is being felt by everyone and in a lot of cases is causing a reaction of numbing coldness in people’s hearts. This frigidness of the heart is causing harsh decisions in government policies as well as individual tolerances toward one another. Matt. 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.
There seems to be a lot going wrong in this world. However, we do not have to be persuaded or affected by Hanrahan’s way of seeing things, or walk around saying, “We’ll all be rooned, before the year is out.” No saints! We have the Lord of lords and the King of kings living within our hearts, and we can say what God says we are to say. “I am strong!” Joel 3:10b Let the weak say, I am strong. Why can we confidently say this? Because if God is for us, what can the world do to us? Rom. 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
The Lord said there would be trials and struggles, but to take heart because our Lord has overcome the world and all that the world can throw at us. John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. I have to ask you as well as myself an important question. If we are having such a hard time loving and being kind to each other during this world pandemic crisis, what will we be like when the anti-Christ shows up with death threats? History shows us that what we are going through right now has happened many times before, and with the courage of heart, people got through it. We can also get through it.
There is nothing new here. Wars and pandemics have affected societies throughout history. At no time did God get dethroned or killed off. The Lord is still in charge of our soul if we have given it to Him. Jesus is still the Lord of all. Those who are running around in fear and proclaiming, “We’ll all be rooned, before the year is out,” and are controlled by their fears and unbridled angry emotions are not to be followed. Prov.10:12a Hatred stirreth up strifes.
We who are in Christ are to keep our hearts tuned to the Holy Spirit so that we can do the things needed to get through these times. Dan. 11:32b But the people who know their God will be strong and take action. We are the ones to set the precedents of what the love of God looks like during troubling events. The love of God is not cold but rather warms the hearts of man. 1Cor. 13:4a Love is patient, love is kind. Maybe there is a lot of Hanrahan type of people out there who continually say, “This pandoomic will be the end of us all,” but we do not have to take part in their narrative. We belong to the Lord, and He has set our future in His eternal plan. Jer. 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. So be it, Lord, I’ll take your plan for my life. Blessings be upon us all.
I always think of the verse in Jeremiah when I see people coming apart on the everyday thing. If we find it hard now, what will we do when things get tough? Jer. 12:5 If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?
Good word in troubled times. As you said, if we cannot love during these troubled times, what will we do when the false Christ shows up?
Yes, we are to declare the goodness of God, and we have so much to be grateful for while sharing His greatness. Life is good. Blessing
Amen, Norm! I find myself filling up on supernatural, God, stories and good teaching and preaching such as yours. There are so many good things going on as well…like finding many friends in Jesus, from time gone by that encourage and lift us up. We need to share our own, God, stories and be courageous. God still wants to draw all men unto Himself through our telling of His great, unparalleled love for us. That won’t happen if we’re cowering in a corner. Rox😊♥️