See that ye not be troubled…

We had a little family outing last night… an exciting trip to a large grocery store north of our home. I don’t know if it’s bcz we don’t always take everyone with us to shop for groceries or if the trips for some are far and few between, but in recent years one of the great adventures is to go to the grocery store. Everyone’s going? a few called out with delight. So, that was our ‘family night‘ activity. Pushing the cart through the aisles, I was keenly aware of some of the empty and nearly empty shelves. Yes, the rice hoarding “shortage” had hit this store hard. Where there is normally quite a large volume of rice on lengthy shelves, last night the only evidence was a grain of rice here and there and the price tags lining the fronts of the shelves. Similarly, the shelves of assorted flour were notably sparse. The power of media.

I wondered… what will it be like when out and out panic sets in and people read and heed the warning to stockpile food as seen in the Wall Street Journal? The power of media.

Then I considered… if this is what media can do in a few days by what it’s sharing… what is not being shared, or rather, what is being twisted to produce a particular outcome?

Consider Matthew 24.4-12

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Every day… the news seems bleaker and the trials greater. Everyday the cares and concerns of this life seem heavier — more burdensome. But God. But God. I think we forget that sometimes. The LORD tells us:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14.1, 27

We may all be watching the price of things skyrocket, we may be dismayed at the tripling of the cost of wheat and oil in the last couple of years… we may fret about the unavailability of many things… we may feel the pinch so acutely that we fear we’ll not survive this mess. But we are not without a Saviour. We are not alone. We may have troubles and trials we’ve not known before. Things may be breaking, things may be wearing out, things may be disappointing us, people may be letting us down… But we are not without a Saviour. We are not alone. What’s being taught as “truth” in many “churches” may have you and me just reeling and we may feel we have no voice and yet must scream. We may be watching the dismantling of the Sacred Truths and the selling of the Truth and the buying and swallowing of lies… all of these things are abounding yet more and more. But we are not without a Saviour. We are not alone.

The enemy would have us to believe otherwise. Let not your heart be troubled.