Day 200 "Circumstances should never control a believer, for the outcome is up to Him."

Day 200 Matthew 24:6-8 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” The beginning of sorrows, wow, what a way to start! If you didn't know the end, you might think that this was a rather harsh beginning, yet the beginning really does pale in comparison to the end. If we open a paper, read the news on the Web, or catch a glimpse of world news, what do we learn? There are nations coming against nations; there is famine in various parts of the world; new diseases that have no cure are being discovered. And every few months, we hear of another nation or community being destroyed by earthquakes. I can hear the Lord now as people line up with excuses, claiming they had no notice. He might say something like this, ‘Did you not hear, did you not read? I warned you.’ Jesus, before His crucifixion, was wasting no time–He was giving important and timeless instruction that people needed to hear then and they need to hear even more so now. As we move into the upcoming passages, we will be hearing the very plan that God has for this world. We are now being told what signs to look for, and soon we will be told how we are to react. If, by chance, you read this passage and feel as I do, that we truly could be witnessing the events described here by Christ as the signs of His return, you will want to pay very close attention to the direction He gives us in the following passages. So how do we respond today to what we have just read? We pray, we remain steadfast in the midst of opposition, we fight the enemy on our terms, we avoid sin and temptation, we take great joy and comfort in our position with Christ, and we share all of this with those we meet. The role of a believer in trying times is to live a life that reinforces the belief–our God is a God of peace; therefore, we live in peace. He is a God of love; therefore, we live a life of love. He is a God of grace and mercy; therefore, we are gracious and merciful, and so on. There is no place for fear in the life of a believer: fear is to faith as David was to Goliath. There is no place for doubt in the life of a believer, for doubt is a lack of understanding and belief of promises. There is no place for war against our brothers in these times, for we "wrestle not against flesh and blood;" therefore, our battle must be in the heavenlies, fought and won on our knees. There is no place for judgment, for there is only one judge, and He has yet to return. My friends, I implore you, today, don't fall into the trap of the enemy, don't justify your actions or beliefs by the circumstances around you, but rather stand firm on the foundation of the Word and the promises made for those who believe and, by our love, they will know our God! Daily Prayer: Father, there is much fear and frustration around us today; much being fueled by our doubts and lack of faith. Give us the strength, Lord, to be overcomers, to be witnesses to this world by the way we react to the trials we face, and may we do so with grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Circumstances should never control a believer, for the outcome is up to Him." Gene Burroughs, Pastor