The headlines and news reports are frightening. They are scary and upsetting, but read on as NCBC's Family Life Director Loretta Bushlack brings our focus back to Jesus' very words of comfort, "Do not be alarmed."  

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"...And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains" (Matthew 24:6-8).

Death. Darkness. Terror. War. Evil. Suffering.

Don't be alarmed.

All this must take place.

This week's headlines out of Israel have way more than alarmed me. I've been horrified. Desperately sad. Sickened.

But Jesus comes to us with a word of care and correction. He says, "Don't be alarmed."

It's hard enough when Jesus tells me what to do. I really have a hard time when He tells me how to feel.

Yet I hear Him asking, "What do you expect out of people who are far from me? What do you expect from people who are dead in their sins?" This is who people will become apart from the love of God and the fruit of the Spirit. This is what sin does.

And I feel myself confessing, "Oh my God, I forget how desperately we need You."

Left to our own devices, humans will do unspeakable things to each other. We are prone to "...evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander..." (Matthew 15:19). We constantly find satisfaction in hurting one another even if the only weapon at our disposal is our tongues.

Apart from Christ, humanity is wicked and our world is a kingdom of absolute, hopeless darkness.

This is why we pray, "Come Lord Jesus." We need His justice to reign. He is our only hope. The only source of goodness and light. And I want to trust and obey what He says.

So even though I'm not sure how I'm choosing to surrender to what Jesus says: "Do not be alarmed." I'm choosing to replace thoughts of despair with thoughts of faith. I'm choosing to fix my eyes on Jesus. I am praying that for you too. May you sleep in safety and face tomorrow with peace and hope.

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14).

God bless you all.