Signs of the times

I'm hearing all sorts of information coming in from what's happening in the States. Things like debt ceilings, stock market crashes, and more soldiers loosing their lives. I'm here in Uganda daily hearing of prices rising almost 100% (no joke) on staple food items, I hear of people dying of starvation, and drought. You look around the world and it seems like there's no hope. It seems like everything's crumbling around us. This world is like sand passing through ones fingers. Christian, Mayan, Muslim, etc... all lay claim to an end to the world as we know it. And just this year we had "the sky is falling" by one pastor who thought that although God said "no one knows the day or the hour", he was able to figure it out. No matter what your religious beliefs may be, looking around at the condition of the world, our minds should be churning over the concept of the temporary nature of this life. How one day you can have security and the next you have nothing and the very things you spent your life to accumulate are now gone.

As I said, we could look around and allow our fear to almost paralyze us saying that there's nothing we can do. But really, we need to "make the most of every opportunity" while we have the chance, we should be taking these events as wake up calls as to what really should matter in our lives. If you're a Christian, it should motivate you to get off your butt (sorry for the bluntness there) and share your faith with those you care about the most because you really don't know what tomorrow may bring.

I just heard about how the governor of Texas called for a time of prayer and fasting for the nation. I've also heard that there were several people (even Christians) who were not necessarily in support of it. But no matter what your sentiments are with such an event, the fact that he was willing to put his career on the line should get our attention. This world as a whole is lost and dark and very close to the time when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord - no matter if it's in worship or fear because they have lived a life rejecting him. We're on our knees now, but what happens tomorrow if things get better? Will we go back to how we used to be? The nation of Israel during the time of the Judges rejected God, got punished, cried out to God, and God sent reprieve and then after time they went back to doing their own thing. Now someone who's a governor can make a huge difference with the exposure his actions can get, you and I may never be able to organize hundreds of thousands of people to earnestly seek God to change our country or our world, but we can change how we live. We can be the ones who live differently, we can be the ones who no matter what the world is saying is ok we live for something more, we can be the ones to show the love, grace, forgiveness, and holiness that this world has become so void of. I hope that the reaction to the situation in the States is not merely a one day/week/month emotional response to suffering, but a true lament over the sin and people committing to truly living to please God above anyone/thing else.

I know hearing of these things has challenged me because so often we complain, but often do we pray. So let's be challenge and let's be a nation/generation that truly, genuinely, and passionately seeks His face.