Ecclesiastes 9:12

For man also does not know his time:

Like fish taken in a cruel net,

Like birds caught in a snare,

So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,

When it falls suddenly upon them.

     I suppose this Scripture exemplifies a continuation of my thoughts from yesterday.  I think it perfectly describes the situation in which we find ourselves.  If you asked, most people would probably tell you that trouble has descended upon our nation out of nowhere.  "What have we done to deserve this?" they might ask.  "Where did this evil come from, and why us; why now?"

     First of all, as Believers we should know that all evil comes from Satan.  We may feel like we have somehow been trapped in some random set of circumstances, and wonder at the severity of the difficulties in which we find our culture, our nation, and the world.  But as a Bible-believing Christian, that mindset seems a little naive, wouldn't you say?

     Take the example we find in the Book of Job.  His troubles did not happen by chance.  They were carefully planned and plotted to destroy the relationship between this righteous man and God.  If you will remember, the lesson we are to learn from this holy Scripture is this:  nothing happens without God allowing it.  That includes all the bad things we perceive in our lives today; the destruction of our economic system, our morals and values, and, yes, possibly the very existence of our way of life in these United States.

     The eternal question that has resulted from that conclusion has always been, Then why does God allow the righteous to suffer?  But you see, there's our first mistake.  We make it about us and our desires; how the world events will effect us.  No matter what time we find ourselves in --- whether in times of prosperity and good will towards men, or in the beginning of birth pangs that will lead to sorrows upon all mankind --- it should really be about how we bring honor to God in all times; how do we react to the trials we are suffering?

     Our troubles might be judgment from God because of our nation's sins against Him.  Or we might be innocent victims caught in the snare set for someone else.  It doesn't matter.  What does matter is how we react to "the evil time, when it falls suddenly upon us."

     Do we moan and complain, asking Why me?  Do we fret and worry, trying to control our circumstances and avoid an unjust sentence?  Or do we set our minds, hearts and souls on glorifying God through the trials and tribulations?  You see, God knows us; He knows our thoughts, our words and our intentions.  He's watching how we respond.  Never lose sight of the fact that He is in control of the mess we are in, and when we strive to honor and praise Him in the midst of our troubles, it greatly pleases Him.  

     These times have indeed become a snare for many of us.  But instead of giving in to desperation and fear, try trusting in Him.  When we realize that God is greater than any trouble that befalls us, we can, like Job, be restored to a confidence that God has the ultimate power and authority over our lives.  The Enemy's snares cannot hold us!