January 5, 2019

The best news . . .


With real news, fake news, biased reporting, pundits and guess-makers, I find it difficult to keep up with the news, particularly politics. Another reason news tends to be hard to follow is that I am a detail person. I get caught up in the small stuff and lose the big picture.

However, the big picture in Scripture helps me see that God is in control, not only of the story there, but of today’s news. From His Word I know two things are true: God puts up and takes down leaders according to His will, and His timing is always right.

He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings . . .  (Daniel 2:21)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4)

The Bible is clear that God sent Jesus at the right time. As already considered, the Hebrew people were prepared. They had failed Him and were looking for their Messiah. Many misinterpreted why He was coming, but most of them longed for that event. They knew they needed help. As they waited, some were even telling others He would come.

By the time Christ would be born, much of the reading world had heard the message about a Messiah and even read it. The Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek in the city of Alexandria in Egypt between the years 250–150 B.C. Greek was the common language of the world so this translation, the Septuagint, made Old Testament teachings available to everyone who could read.

At the same time, the Pharisees maintained the sacred character of the entire Old Testament. They taught belief in the resurrection, the judgment of the last day, and the existence of angels and spirits.

Besides this, Alexander the Great had a vision of one world with one language. He realized this ambition more than three hundred years before the birth of Christ, establishing the Greek language as the common tongue, and Greek culture as the pattern of thought and life. With this, the world was ready to hear the good news.

This is a ‘big picture’ of the history at that time. When I look at it and realize the plan of God fulfilled in the “fullness of time” I begin to associate it with the plan of God for our time. His Word says Jesus will come again — when the time is right. I’ve no doubt of it!
He also affirms His sovereignty in the affairs of man. The leaders in our world may think they are secure in their power and plans, but the Bible challenges their confidence . . .  

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. (Psalm 2:1–4)

God says His King is established and the nations are His heritage. He warns them to be wise, to serve Him with fear and rejoice with trembling. They are in danger of His wrath and would be far wiser to take refuge in Him (verses 8-12). Since this is true for those who resist God, how much more for those who submit to Him!

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Lord Jesus, instead of trying to figure out what is going on in the news, I am more dedicated to trusting You. You are the Lord, in charge of history, all of it. And when the time is right, You will come back and make sense of the mess, deal with all evil, right all wrongs and usher in Your never-ending kingdom. I listen and watch, not for figuring out what I think is happening but for hints of Your hand. While news reporters may not see it or publish it if they do see it, You are still on the throne and one day the world will know that You are Lord of all.


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