I have brothers and sisters I’ve never met.
Siblings I will never encounter in this lifetime.
We don’t have the same skin color.
We don’t bear the same last name.
We don’t speak the same language or eat the same foods.
We don’t share a shred of DNA.
But we have the same Father.
And some of my brothers and sisters (and yours) are enduring fierce persecution from an Islamic terrorist group called ISIS.
They’re being killed. Martyred as their loved ones are forced to watch.
Even children aren’t safe from the assault of ISIS.
It’s hard to wrap my brain around it; but this is actually happening right now.
I can’t see it taking place. It doesn’t directly affect me.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
Just because it’s not real to me doesn’t mean it’s not real.
To the parents of children who’ve been murdered, it’s real.
To thousands of other Christ-followers facing the threats of ISIS, it’s real.
To those children who are now in the arms of Jesus…
well, they’re finally experiencing the realest of the real.
How should a Christ-follower respond in the face of such heart-wrenching terror? How do we react in the midst of such unrest in the world?
Because I don’t know about you, but I’m very tempted to resort to one of two extremes:
Avoidance.
And anger.
Avoidance, because sometimes it’s really just more comfortable to try to ignore huge problems that make me feel helpless.
And anger, because when I hear a news snippet that forces me to open my eyes and face the facts and acknowledge what’s going on, I’m pretty infuriated by the massacre. To the point that I start to wish harm on the perpetrators. And if I’m being really honest, I get way too much satisfaction from the thought of them burning in hell for their crimes.
What’s a Christ-follower to do? What’s the proper response? Because I’m pretty sure neither of my tendencies is the kind of response my Jesus wants me to have.
God has been so gracious to open my eyes to four stabilizing truths for times of terror:
God is still in charge. My Bible tells me that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men (Daniel 4:17b). This truth has refocused me following disappointing presidential elections; it has reassured me during distressing economic crises; and it has fortified me in the face of disturbing world events.
First, can I just be really clear that the fact that He’s in charge doesn’t mean He’s causing the heinously evil acts against His children?
But I can’t deny that He is allowing them.
After all, He’s strong enough to stop them.
Though that doesn’t mean He will…
but as long as the terror continues, I can trust with everything I am that it will not be wasted.
It won’t be wasted for those being threatened by ISIS.
It won’t be wasted for those who have been killed.
It won’t be wasted for their loved ones who watched them die.
Because in God’s economy, loss means gain and humility brings exaltation and devastation precedes restoration. God mourns with us in our pain, but even as His heart aches with ours, He’s looking ahead to the victory He knows is coming.
When my God says that all things work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28), I have to believe that this includes the very hardest things. The things that seem to be completely void of any good whatsoever.
Because after all, that’s just the kind of miracle He delights to perform.
God’s grace really is enough. And more. (2 Corinthians 9:8)
I can claim it in prayer for my brothers and sisters overseas who have watched their children’s murders.
I can claim it for those running for their lives, fleeing to places of safety.
And I can bank on it remaining true if I’m ever in their mourning, fleeing, suffering shoes.
When troubles multiply, God’s grace is magnified.
This means He is particularly close to the brokenhearted and He binds up their wounds.
This means when we’re facing the hardest things, He picks us up and holds us in His hand.
This means when we’re facing a burden that’s more than we can bear, He comes alongside us and lifts that burden from our slumped shoulders and onto His strong ones.
“God’s grace is enough” isn’t a vague or inconsequential cliche. It’s a lifeline promising the bottomless resources of our generous God in the hardest of times.
ISIS isn’t the enemy. This is a hard one. Because they sure feel like our enemies. They even claim to be our enemies. Quite arrogantly at that. But my God tells me that my fight is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). My fight is against the spiritual forces that oppose Him — Satan.
The members of ISIS are themselves prisoners, whether they realize it or not. They’re blinded to the truth, enslaved by Satan, and used for his evil purposes in the world. Remembering that the very worst of the world’s “bad guys” are themselves prisoners of a spiritual war can soften my heart toward them, allowing me to pray genuinely for their blind eyes to be opened to the truth.
Because my God also tells me that He isn’t willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). And this includes ISIS.
After all, if I allow my heart to be overcome by hatred, how am I any better off than they?
The end is near. I don’t know how much time we have left before Jesus raptures His Church. I don’t know how much longer our freedom will be intact should God see fit to delay Jesus’ coming. But I have to say that it wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see American Christians facing persecution in our country within my lifetime, and certainly in my children’s lifetime.
Friends, let’s be alert! Let’s be on guard! Let’s wake up and draw near to God and live like we’re really following Him instead of living for the pursuit of pleasure.
Let’s be fervent in prayer…
Let’s live this way for the sake of our children who need to see our example of what real Christ-following looks like.
And let’s live this way for the sake of our Lord, who has given us much and will require much from us…
the One who died so we could live.
Will you live for Him in each one of your remaining moments on Earth?
However many or few they may be.
Written by Jennifer Clarke
Powerful message. We really do need to remember that our enemy is not flesh and blood, but the spirits imprisoning people and causing them to do their dirty work. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad God gives such insights in His Word, so we can have the right perspective about people who commit such atrocities. Thank you for stopping by, Audrey!
What a profound and poignant post; I really appreciate your words here. I have been wrestling with this and seeking the Lord in prayer. I agree, He won’t waste one bit of it. And that we need to be praying… praying…praying. Praying for those who are bound in this terror, on both sides. It is important for us, as Christ-followers, to be fully aware of what is going on in every season. He warned us to be diligent to discern the times. Thanks for the reminder to be consistently connected to the only source of peace and hope.
Blessings,
Dawn
Thank you, Dawn! Times such as these certainly highlight our desperate need for the Solid Rock, don’t they? Thank you for highlighting the importance of prayer. It’s all we can do…but it’s also the best thing we can do, whether there’s more we can do or not.
Thank you for this. I see both scenarios with all of this too, avoidance and anger. I see it in my life and around me. It is refreshing to hear someone address it with the Truth of God. Your points all really resonated with me. They are all the same truths God leads me to when I get my eyes focused back on Him and off of the horror of what is happening. Thank you for writing on the hard subject.
Welcome, Erica! Thank you for identifying with my heart in this post. We need our eyes refocused so often, don’t we? How wonderful our God is to lift our gaze back to Him when we begin to stray.
I love how you said “ISIS is not our enemy.” Too often we forget who the real enemy is, and we get mad at those who persecute us, when the real blame really should be placed elsewhere. Not that they are “off the hook,” but that we need to realize there is more going on here. Thanks for sharing on Equipping Godly Women Fellowship Fridays!
You’ve made a great point, Brittany; letting evildoers off the hook would detract from God’s justness. Perhaps what we need is for God to grant us the grace to pray that their sins would be washed away by Jesus’ blood through salvation. And to trust that He will exact vengeance in His perfectly good and righteous way. Thank you so much for stopping by, and for allowing me to share!
Love this! Something I’ve been thinking about for a while now but nice to see it written out. I can’t wrap my head around Christians being persecuted in the Middle East. Being a mother of 2 small boys it makes me sick to my stomach. The only thing we can do is pray. No weapon formed against me and my family will prosper. Amen!
Welcome, Katie! I’m so glad this helped to confirm what God has already been whispering to you. Being a mom to young children in these uncertain times is so unsettling, isn’t it? I’m grateful for the Solid Rock on which we stand, and for His Word which brings such peace as we bask in His promises. Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to get in touch!
Thank you so much for this post. I needed to hear this and grasp better the fact that yes it is Satan that is causing these unsettled times. I have had a bad habit of wishing bad things on these evil men, and mot only ISIS etc. but also all the things that we are bombarded with here in the USA. Every day there is something about child abuse, people dumping puppies in trash cans and such. I think in my broken heart state I had forgotten who the real evil doer is. Thanks for reminding me. I will now be praying for them rather than wishing bad for them.
It seems that evil is growing more hideous, and more widespread, doesn’t it? My favorite stanza from “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” comes to mind: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.” God’s victory is guaranteed! It seems a long time coming, but God’s delay is only so that more people can come to know Him as Savior (2 Peter 3:9). I’m glad this post encouraged you, Terri. Thank you for taking the time to get in touch!
Thank you for being bold and speaking up about the terror that is inflicting our world. Thank you especially for putting in perspective! I am so thankful and blessed you have written about this – it has been on my heart to write something, but you have written something truly beautiful. I love your quote “When trouble multiples, grace magnifies”. Thank you for sharing at Grace and Truth 🙂
Hi, Ruth! This is such a hard topic to think through, much less write about, isn’t it? It’s one of those things I truly would just love to ignore, because the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming. I’m so thankful for a God who offers us hope and instruction in His Word for times such as these. Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to leave this kind word. Many blessings to you in your writing ministry!
Beautiful, challenging post, Jennifer. It is hard to remember that people are not the ultimate enemy; Satan is. Thank you for reminding us of that important fact. And thank you for reminding us to utilize the greatest power in the world…the power of prayer. Blessings to you, friend.
That’s the hardest part for me, Leah. I sometimes find myself taking comfort in the fact that God will judge the wicked. I feel like that’s the wrong attitude to have in light of the great grace I’ve received; yet it can’t be, because David comforted himself with that same thought in the Psalms. I’m still grappling with that point, but I’m thankful for the abundantly clear point that Satan is our ultimate enemy, and even he will one day be vanquished. It’s only a matter of time!
I struggle with not being angry at the atrocities that my faith family are experiencing, so I really appreciate this call to remember that our fight is “not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers of darkness.” This is a powerful post, thank you so much for sharing it & linking up with Grace & Truth, friend!
I struggle with this, too, Holly. I’ve reread this post more than once recently, simply out of my own need for these reminders. I’m glad it blessed you!
Love this, Jennifer! I was just discussing with some friends the other day that it’s so easy to be angry with ISIS or with cancer or with abuse or with so many terrible things that exist in the world. But the truth is that the one responsible for so many of those evils is our Enemy. He’s the one we should be angry with and the one we should fight against! But “Grace magnifies” – yes and amen!
Jen 🙂
I’m glad this post encouraged you, Jen. It’s one I reread myself often, when I need to be reminded of these core truths during these uncertain times.
I like most everything you said, and yes the war is against Satan. But are you saying we should not fight and kill ISIS for the things they are doing to innocent people and the war they rage against the whole world? I was active duty Army for 10 years and fought against Muslim extremists before and if called upon to do it again I would answer that call. I hate war, but I cannot abide with what is happening over there. We are called to do what we can, and God will do what we cannot.
Hi, Todd, and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here. I want you to know that I truly appreciate your service to our nation. You have endured much, fighting battles I cannot even fathom, so that evil is not allowed free rein. I’m humbly grateful to you.
To answer your question, no, I’m not in any way saying our nation’s military shouldn’t intervene against those who seek to terrorize us and others around the world. I’m by no means a pacifist when it comes to national policy. My goal here is to encourage Christ-followers to think biblically about those who position themselves as our enemies. I believe that even as our military does what it has to do to secure “liberty and justice for all,” Christ-following civilians can still employ such principles as loving our enemies, blessing those who persecute us, and realizing that terrorists are unknowingly helpless captives of God’s enemy, Satan himself. I hope this brings clarity to the thoughts I’ve shared. Again, thank you for reading and for contributing to the discussion!