May 24: UNDERSTANDING THE TERROR OF WAR

Only a few Americans understand the horrors of war. Those among us who are veterans of the different combats know but they can’t really explain it. This country has been so blessed that all we know of war is a “second-hand” adrenaline rush from movies about World War II or Vietnam or the Evening News with live shots from Baghdad.
Most of us can’t imagine what it would be like to go to sleep and wake up to the sound of bombs exploding. The sound of missiles, rockets, screams and crying are the sounds of war. Most of us have been spared that first-hand horror.
Now our friends and family members are being sent to fight a terrible war. We must pray for the leaders of the warring countries to work hard for a peaceful resolution. We must pray for the President of our country to be especially sensitive to the voice of God. We must pray for families that are being divided by war. We must pray for children who fear for their parents in war. We must recognize that this is ultimately a spiritual battle between God and the Evil One being fought out on the earth and that only right spiritual truth can ultimately triumph.
As Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The idea of racial or ethnic “cleansing” (one group totally destroying another group) are ideas straight out of Hell and must be defeated again and again. The idea of any group claiming that God is only on their side is a terrible lie. Every time man begins to boast of his great accomplishments and how great “humanity” is without the restraints of God and the Bible, a war like this breaks out to show that the heart of man is “desperately wicked” and until man surrenders to the Prince of Peace, we will continue to fight wars.
Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, has never directed any of His followers to attack another human being.

“O Prince of Peace, move upon Your children in this generation to rise
to be peace-makers and not war-makers. Only You can do this. Amen”