A Wake-up Call!

Apr 28, 2020 By Hephzibah Stephen

When natural disasters and diseases occur, they are usually confined to some corner of the globe.  When tsunami attacked the southern shores of Chennai, the other places in Chennai were safe.  When earthquake rocked Bhuj in Gujarat, the other places in Gujarat were safe.  When Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, the other places in the US were safe.  But the coronavirus has engulfed the whole globe at the same time!  The only other time I can think of such a calamity befalling all humanity at the same time was when the floodwaters engulfed the earth at the time of Noah!  At that time, the people did not know that others were also suffering because it was a time before global communications.  The scale may be different, but the nature of universal suffering seems to be somewhat the same! 

If we look at the history of the Church, we can understand many things.  In Eastern Europe a vibrant Christianity emerged in the midst of suffering, and persecution.  But in countries where there has been prosperity and democracy, the Church has ceased to have any impact on the society. Materialism and atheism have taken over. God saw mankind during the time of Noah and found the wickedness of man great and every intent of his heart evil (Gen 6:5).  It is the same today.  God is saddened to see the Church, which is the body of believers growing lukewarm with no difference in values, priorities, practices, and pursuits of professing Christians and non-Christians.  Lacking any visible external threat to our faith, we have grown careless and apathetic!

God is giving us a warning today!  It is time for us to introspect and see where we have fallen short.  We should make David's prayer our prayer, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" ( Psalm 139:24,25).  Just as Noah found grace in the eyes of God, we too can find grace if we confess our sins, for He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  There is hope for us! 

 My friend, complacency and compromise will not save us from disaster.  Let us return to the Lord today and receive grace so that we can be saved just like Noah!


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