I got a little behind in my Bible reading this year while I was so busy with the move, but I’m starting to get back on track. I’ve been reading through II Kings, and am getting some encouragement through it.
If you are familiar with the story of Israel, then you know that after King Solomon’s reign, the kingdom broke into two pieces. Over a long series of evil kings, Israel started to decay as a nation. They went after idols, lost their wealth, and eventually were carted away by their enemies. The 10 tribes of Israel were carted off first, and were lost to history (and continue to be lost to history to this day, but God knows who they are). Judah had a few more good kings, and hung on for a while longer.
The United States is in a similar situation today. Many of its people are turning to foreign Gods. The president doesn’t recognize the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as supreme. We are losing God’s favor; however, he’s not done with us yet. I don’t think that we will have as many chances as Israel had though.
What’s encouraging about that? I know that through all of that, God’s people remained. People like Daniel would emerge. Eventually, Israel would once again become a nation. It didn’t happen overnight, but it all was a part of God’s plan. In addition, the people of that time were no different than we are. They lived during difficult times, and God helped them get through it. He will help us as well.
Again, we do know something about God’s plan for the future. They were looking for their messiah to come for the first time; we are looking for our messiah to come for a second time. Life might get difficult as the nation (and world) descends into spiritual darkness; however, God’s plan will be revealed through it all.
We all want a nice place to live, an easy life, good kids, nice things, and enjoyable experiences. I’ve been blessed in that God has done a lot of wonderful things for me. Through all of this, we have to remember that this isn’t the end. Should chaos erupt today, and everything that I have is taken away from me, it’s all part of His plan. If he brought Israel through these dark times in order to prepare the way for the Savior, then he can once again bring the world through these troubling times in order to prepare the way for the Savior to come again.
