Daily devotion – Has God got your attention?
Could it be that God now has our attention?
The war in the Middle East has cast a giant web over the rest of the world, drawing all nations and peoples under its influence. Fuel prices are rising, and there are concerns about shortages. Shops are beginning to see panic buying, with people stocking up out of fear that transport may be affected and shelves could soon become bare.
Everyone has an opinion. Yet perhaps the only voices with the most personal perspective are those Iranians living abroad who are now openly celebrating what is happening in their birth nation.
At the same time, the anti-Jewish propaganda machine continues to place the blame for the conflict upon Israel. Sadly, this is nothing new. Scripture reminds us that such hostility will not diminish but will only increase.
But could it also be that the Church of Jesus Christ is being shaken?
Last Sunday, and again at the Wednesday evening prayer gathering, I sensed that God was moving among His people—stirring hearts that may once have been calloused to now be softened, and recognize the seriousness and lateness of the hour in which we live.
God often uses even the work of the enemy as a tool to accomplish His purposes. We saw this most clearly in the betrayal, arrest, whipping, and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. What appeared to be the triumph of evil became the very means of our salvation. Through Christ’s death and His resurrection, the door was opened for all who believe in Him as Savior and Messiah to be forgiven and saved from their sins.
We see this pattern even in our own families. When tragedy strikes, grief and sorrow often drive us as believers to the Cross and into our Father’s arms, where we find His comfort and strength.
So we must ask ourselves: Is God using this present war with Iran to jolt us awake? Is He using it to stir us from a spiritual slumber?
If so, then let us not waste this moment.
Let us gather again at Christ’s breast, at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. Let us open the Word of God and listen carefully for His voice—the voice that brings calm, assurance, and peace.
Paul reminds us:
Philippians 4:6–7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Those who know the Lord in these days will have their lamps trimmed and filled with oil, knowing that our Lord is coming soon.
Matthew 25:1–13