Daily devotion – Peace but not a lasting peace.
Zech 12: 1 This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: “This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. 2 I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.
Have you examined the detail of the twenty point peace deal currently existing that was agreed upon to cease the fighting in Gaza?
I want you you read these couple of points from this agreement in particular and think about what they mean for the future of Israel.
“18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform programme is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.”
An interfaith dialaogue…..these only ever work in one direction and never for Christianity or more specifically in this case, Judaism!
Secondly, there will be an eventual dividing of the land of Israel – the creating of a two state situation.
The Bible tells us that this will happen but that it is man’s complete doing and not according to what God had intended for His people Israel and God will bring judgment because of this eventual scenario and take back the land which is His!
Yet one of Israel’s prophets prophesies that the land will be divided by the nations. Joel writes that God speaks of “My land that they have divided” (Joel 3:2). And the Lord says that the nations will try to remove Jerusalem from its place (Zechariah 12:1-6).
We live in an extremely prophetic time, God asks us what we will do now that the world is plotting all of this, and we wonder what the Lord will do. Will He break the counsel of the nations and frustrate the thoughts of the peoples? (Psalm 33:10).
The Bible tells us there will be no real peace for the nation of Israel until Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom in Jerusalem as told us in Revelation 19 – 22.
During the tribulation, the anti-christ will also broker an apparent 7 year ‘peace treaty’ to which Israel will agree according to the prophet Daniel, but that peace agreement too will come to an abrupt halt just 3 1/2 years into its duration.
Dan 9:27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
So as we view the current events in Israel, let us be aware that this current ‘peace’ agreement will not last but it is a just a pre-cursor of what is to come in these Last Days.
Normally I would sign off such a devotion as this with the words, “Are you ready for the coming of the Lord?”
But today I want to ask you straight out if you are a believer at all? Have you repented of your sins before the Holy God of Israel, have you recognised that Jesus Christ as God’s Son died on the Cross at Calvary to remove your sins, and now do you live for Him truly each day and serve Him and recognise Him as your Lord and Saviour?
The time is short, the signs are getting clearer each day and telling us that the Rapture of the Church is going to happen at any moment.
Don’t leave off your relationship with God – do not slumber or thinks you can sort things out later – Today is the Day of Salvation….