It’s been said, “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” If this is true of the times in which we now live, then I submit we have experienced three or four decades worth of change in the last few weeks.
We are living in a tumultuous, ever-changing world. We are constantly bombarded by one unprecedented headline after another. News cycles shift gears so quickly it’s difficult to keep pace and not lose heart.
Just to put things in perspective, let’s start with May of this year and work our way towards this week’s headlines.
- May 19, 2024 – Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi and Iran’s Foreign Minister were killed in a helicopter crash due to mountain fog (Reuters). Iran held a special presidential election to replace Raisi and on July 6, 2024, “Reformist” Masoud Pezeshkian was elected Iran’s President (Blessors of Israel).
- May 24, 2024 – CNN reported that UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced “the United Kingdom would hold a general election on July 4,” even though he would likely lose; and lose he did. On July 4, the leftist Labour Party won a landslide victory and installed Keir Starmer as the new Prime Minister (CNN).
- June 9, 2024 – The Associated Press reported “Far-right parties rattled the traditional powers in the European Union (EU) with major gains in parliamentary seats, dealing an especially humiliating defeat to French President Emmanuel Macron.”
- June 27, 2024 – President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump squared off in a presidential debate even though neither candidate had been officially nominated by their respective party (New York Times). Biden’s lackluster debate performance led to calls from his fellow Democrats to step down and let someone else run for president. Biden tried to reassure his party that he was fit for office and able to lead the nation for another four years.
- July 7, 2024 – In response to his defeat at the EU, French President Emmanuel Macron called for an election and struck a last-minute deal with the left-wing New Popular Front alliance in order to maintain his presidential control over France (Politico).
- July 13, 2024 – While campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated by Thomas Matthew Crooks. The Gateway Pundit reported, “President Trump was saved when he tilted his head at the last minute and was hit by a bullet in the ear and did not take a bullet to the skull. Many believe God protected our president that day.”
- July 21, 2024 – After weeks of mounting pressure from top Democrats, President Biden announced via X that he would not seek another term in office. Later that same day, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s nominee. Within hours of Biden’s announcement, Harris secured the number of delegates necessary to win the nomination (CNN) and also hauled in $81 million in the first 24 hours (MSN).
These staggering headlines are a reminder of the important principles found within God’s Word, the Holy Bible. In Daniel 2:20-21, the prophet Daniel glorified the God of Israel for revealing to him the meaning of the dreams that left King Nebuchadnezzar’s spirit troubled, saying, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.”
While our world is ever-changing, our God never changes (Psalm 102:27; Hebrews 13:8). Yet He is the One who raises leaders to positions of authority to accomplish His will and He removes leaders from position of influence to also achieve His will. He changes the times and the epochs yet He is not changed nor will He ever be deterred from fulfilling His promises (Numbers 23:19).
More change is on the horizon. What we are witnessing now are the birth pangs that Jesus warned His disciples about (Matthew 24:6-8). As we witness the times changing before our eyes, I believe God wants us to be like the men of Issachar. We are told in 1 Chronicles 12:32, that the sons of Issachar were “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.” Like never before the body of Christ must discern the times in which we live and understand what we must do. We are promised in James 1:5, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
This is not the time to shrink back in fear because we do not know what the next day may bring. We must press into the Lord by faith because He already knows what our tomorrows will bring. In fact, our eternal God is already in our tomorrows; yesterday, today, and tomorrow are an ever-present now for our God. And God has commissioned us to be His ambassadors, His witnesses to our family and friends who need Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). It’s time for us, the Church, to go out into the harvest fields and proclaim that Jesus is the Savior of the world and He is coming back (John 3:16; Revelation 19:11-16). May we be faithful until that day, and until that day say with the Apostle John, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
by Dr. Matthew Dodd | July 26, 2024