Continued from 'Is the devil in the details?'
Why is the question we all ask. Why was my son or daughter taken? Why did my dad have to go missing? Why was my friend not found on a well known trail? Why is a question that seems no one can answer.
Why was I not taken yesterday ( Friday June 20) while I sat motionless, alone in my yard? Why are YOU and ME not missing victims but there are countless of others who are?
"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." Matthew 24:40-41
"I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." Luke 17:34
If I could just ask you to lay down what you know about scripture; and lay down the common belief that these two scriptural passages direct our understanding towards a rapture theory, because in truth; they do not. It's been a common understanding that being left behind is a 'bad' thing. Those that believe in the rapture theory are anxious as they await a time to be whisked away to escape God's coming wrath. What if the above scriptures were not directing our attention to a time of a 'rapture' but a time of judgement? Then in that case to be left behind is a good thing, and to be taken is -not so much.
If Jesus' words are describing a time of judgment, this is a hard pill to swallow because then we have no choice but to question, why our children? Why our loved ones? Why God? WHY!? We have been led to believe that God is ALL LOVING that He loves everyone, and that He wouldn't hurt our children, He just wouldn't. Would He?
He does, and He has.
Let me ask you, how many children did God save during the flood? Noah, his wife, and their three children and their three wives. Noah was somebody's child and so too his wife. Their three sons were grown men with wives of their own when the flood arrived, but no less they were still children. This stands to reason, I hear your comments: but they were not infants, toddlers or young children.
*How many infants, toddlers or young children did God save during the flood? None.
*How many infants, toddlers or young children did God save when He rained fire and brimstone down on Sodom and Gomorrah? None.
*How many Egyptian infants, toddlers or young children did God save during the time of the Passover? Not many.
*How many infants, toddlers or young children were spared during the times Israel was sent out to fight -and won-against opposing nations? None.
Out of all the instances where God was directly involved in some way, He did not spare His creation, no matter the age. We put a degree of sentiment on age, God doesn't because God looks at our hearts and knows who will live to serve Him and those who will not.
If God loved everyone, including infants, then why was Esau singled out as one whom God hated? There's no denying the fact that God knows us before we are born, and before Esau was born into this world, he did not have our Father's love.
Esau was raised in a loving God fearing household, so what was his excuse? The facts are that some people born into this world were never meant to know the love of God. As sad and heart wrenching as that is we who do (or claim to) love God, and know Him should know better; but we act like we don't. And that is why this is happening to people of all demographics; women, men, teachers, lawyers, children, illiterate, literate, mentally challenged, mentally acute. There seems to be no one defining factor that can help us solve the problem of why. Why us?
Remember: Finding out the answers to WHY will always lead us to WHO.
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself. Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself." Ezekiel 3:17-21
How can we as believers be watchmen if we can't even reel our own children in and warn them in a loving way and correct them if all they see is us doing what we tell them not to do? If our children see us living dishonest lives, how can we expect them to be honest? If our children see us doing what it takes to get ahead in this life, how can we ever expect our children to be patient and lean on the Lord for their provision? If our children see us making every allowance and taking in every indulgence, how can we expect them to live any other way? If our children, including infants, toddlers, teens, young men and women and elders are never taught the love of God from us, how can we ever expect to rely on God for their safety?
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Children in the Hebraic household were reared up on the ways of God; today children are reared up on what the family has defined for themselves what is right and what is wrong. Often times God is only an afterthought when something goes terribly wrong. I do not mean that to sound insulting, but in our eyes, Mary and Joseph and Jesus too would clearly be defined as fanatical by some God fearing folk of today.
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity." Proverbs 3:1-2
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and
the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and the years will be added to your life. Proverbs 9:10-11
The fear of the Lord adds length to life: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
Proverbs 10:27
"Honor your father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Ephesians 6:2-3
The above scriptures hold us accountable. There is no exception. We who love God have a responsibility to share, lead and guide others- especially our loved ones and fellow believers. We who believe have an obligation to live our lives according to God's word and share by being the example someone else can live by. We focus too much on what others will think if we live our love for God as an outwardly show of faith. We worry too much about how our words would offend, I know because I have the death of someone on my hands.
To be continued...
