“Elder Mike” gave me a wee shove yesterday for spending too much time and effort on the nooze. What he said made me re-think my priorities. To a certain extent, he might be right. We do want to know what we’re up against–but not to the point where we’re demoralized. We need Caleb–not those guys who came back to Moses whining “We’re like grasshoppers, compared to those bodacious mighty heathen!” (See Numbers 13)
Meanwhile, here’s a little guide which may help you decide whether you’re spending too much time on nooze.
You know you’re spending way too much time on nooze when:
*You know the names of the politicians’ lawyers (always a bad sign!).
*All the different stories start looking like the same tomfool story.
*You find yourself believing all the nooze and it makes you down-hearted.
*You find yourself unable to believe any of it and that makes you crazy.
*You have panic attacks over which pronouns you can safely use, and wind up referring to a single individual as “they.”
*You actually believe in Man-Made Climbit Change.
If any one of these describes you, it’s time to back off the TV or computer screen and get yourself some model trains.
I am personally convinced that we are seeing something unique happening around us. What I believe we are seeing is Revelation 17:13, as kings of the earth give their power to the Beast. The main reason I feel that this is the case, is the inexorable nature of what it happening. It seems as if the changes are happening of their own momentum. This brings to mind Revelation 17:17 “for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”
So, while I am not pleased by much of what happens these days, I believe that it is part of something that must happen, as part of God’s plan. Rev 1:1 “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servantsa the things that must soon take place.” These are things that must take place.
So, my way of dealing with this is to take note of what is happening, but to endeavor to not be distressed, because we are seeing God’s word being fulfilled. In the meantime, we can enjoy the positive things we see happening around us. Recently, I got to spend time with some friends who are very effective in living Christian lives. It was heartwarming to see an extended family that had a strong bond of love, and whom lead decent, Christian lives, on a day-to-day basis. The children were well behaved and as good natured as any children I’ve ever seen. So there are successes happening, in the midst of the bad things that happen in our day. We can take joy in these things, and more importantly, we can take great joy in knowing that God’s purposes are being fulfilled, in His time.