Pray

Our world is unstable. There are forces hell bent on destroying people and the chosen ones of God, Israel. This has been the case since the beginning of time. The spiritual warfare has become obvious as we look at the events in Israel.

In Psalm 83, war against Gods’ chosen was described. Time has not changed things, however the words expressed remind us that the Lord will have the last word.

Psalm 83:1-4,12-18 NLT
O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. [2] Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? [3] They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. [4] “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.” [12] for they said, “Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!” [13] O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind! [14] As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, [15] chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. [16] Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O LORD. [17] Let them be ashamed and terrified forever. Let them die in disgrace. [18] Then they will learn that you alone are called the LORD, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.

God created each person to make a difference, to love and be loved. Sometimes it can feel as if there is only evil in this world. The enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy God’s children.

John 10:6-16 NLT
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, [7] so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. [9] Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. [10] The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12] A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13] The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. [14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, [15] just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

So what can we do in action at this time? We can love others as God loves us. We can pray for Israel and all people who are persecuted for loving their Creator God and His promises.

1 John 4:7-19 MSG
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love-so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about-not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. [11-12] My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us-perfect love! [13-16] This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. [17-18] God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day-our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life-fear of death, fear of judgment-is one not yet fully formed in love. [19] We, though, are going to love-love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

God loves His people, first the People of Israel, then the rest of us, Gentiles, were blessed with His love and inheritance.

Jeremiah 31:7 AMP
For thus says the LORD, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout for the first and foremost of the nations [the chosen people, Israel]; Proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O LORD save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’

The Lord alone is the Most High, supreme over all the earth!

God is love and when we love like Him the world will be at peace.

Isaiah 40:1 ASV
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

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