To Struggle and Strive // Genesis 12:3

A week ago we were beginning to grasp the cruelty and horror of terror unleashed in Israel. It turns my stomach. I watched some of the videos and listened to stories of hell and heroism alike. All of it makes me shake my head in bewilderment and disgust. We must rally together in prayer for those in harm’s way and ask for God’s peace to descend upon the world. I

chose Genesis 12:3 for our verse today. It came from God’s promise to Abram (soon to become Abraham) that He would make a great nation from him, and the world will be blessed through him. Abram was not perfect, just as Jacob was imperfect, but Jacob had his name changed to Israel meaning, “one who struggles or strives with God” (Genesis 32:27). It is not lost on me that Israel’s very name indicates struggle; yet, blessing comes in striving through the struggle. Friends, evil in our world is flexing right now. It seeks to dispirit God’s people and discourage others from thinking there is hope in the Lord. Shakespeare’s statement that “Hell is empty. All the devils are here.” rings so true in times like this. May we not be deceived into thinking evil wins or is even more powerful. These are extinction bursts and attempts to build a hellish kingdom over which to rule once Satan is ultimately defeated. Evil is not conquered with more evil; in fact, 1 Peter 3:9 indicates God blesses us when we refuse to repay evil with evil. That’s hard for me right now — I feel so much anger and I pray some of it is righteous. I know, though, that only God is righteous, and He promised millennia ago to bless those who bless His family and curse those who curse them, too. Hell exists for such a reason. It might be empty now, but it won’t be forever. I know I have to struggle and strive to love and trust God with everything else.

How about you?