“Then they called out in Hebrew
to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them
afraid in order to capture the city.” (2 Chronicles 32:18, NIV2)
Things were very hard for Europeans during World War
I. Germany was a formidable foe, an adversary unwilling to be defeated, and the
war left behind thousands of disheartened, discouraged people. They would never
choose to experience such a thing again, and they would do anything in their
power to avoid another war.
When in 1935, roughly twenty years later, Hitler’s
repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles sped up his rearmament program, and thus
made his ambitions very clear, no one in Europe dared to oppose him. Why? They
were too focused on avoiding another terrible war!
In March 1938, Hitler annexed Austria. Again there was
hardly any reaction from other European countries, and they didn’t even respond
when he insisted on claiming Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia that had a
large German population, for Germany later that same year! France and Great
Britain quickly conceded this piece of the country to Germany through the Munich
agreement! Anything to avoid war!
A year later however, Poland was invaded by Nazi
troops, and by that time it was too late to stop the menace from awakening.
Panic and discouragement reigned in many European countries. Belgians, for
example, fearful that Germany would once again use gas against them, rushed to
transform the underground tunnels of the Citadelle in Namur (A large fortified
fortress) into a gas-protected shelter. In the end, much of their war effort
went into this one project, but unfortunately, they hadn’t finished all of the
anti-gas doors when Germany reached Belgium. Not that it mattered. Germany never
used gas during WW II!
Discouragement and fear are choice weapons that will
render any army useless. It is also the choice weapon of any evil force: “The
thief (The evil one) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that
they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10, NIV2) Terrorism has
but one purpose, after all: To defeat through fear and discouragement!
Have you ever wondered why the news is filled with
such scary events? And have you noticed how discouragement even reaches into the
ranks of the saints, paralyzing even those who serve God?
Maybe if we would try to use a bit more wisdom, we
would realize where fear is coming from. Especially when it shows up in all
possible venues! Who would have ever imagined, for instance, that anyone would
ever shoot at kids aged 5-10, like they did in the recent school shooting in
Newtown, Connecticut?
There is only one who specializes in such tactics, and
just like Hitler’s mind was set on defeat, this is also the devil’s ultimate
goal.
Have you ever wondered why so many under Hitler’s
control refrained from helping those who were destined to end up in
concentration camps? Terrorism discourages and paralyzes to the very core of our
being, so much so that our survival instinct can completely snuff out any sign
of love! Would we have done differently?
How different were Jesus’ intentions. He could have
come down from heaven with a sword in His hand, even though we were the ones who
had deliberately wandered away from Him! Instead He came to pour out genuine
love on each one of us. His love was so evident that many couldn’t help but be
attracted to Him. Who else would be willing to die for the ungrateful? Who else
would love us so unconditionally, even though we were far from being righteous?
There is a difference between hatred and love. The
first hungers for destruction, the second, for reconciliation. Those of us who
believe are not supposed to be the ones who are vindictive, discouraged and
defeated. We are the ones who are forgiven, emboldened, at peace -- and filled
with genuine love!
Who will we serve?
Rob Chaffart
Thanks to Daily Presbyterian
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.