“Lord, I am tired of today. Please give me a new day.” And it’s not even 7:00 AM.
This is how my Ukrainian friend Elena feels like most mornings. She lives in Nikolaev, the 3rd most attacked Ukrainian city by the Russian troops.
Day of war 161. It’s pitch black in Eastern Europe. Rightfully so, it’s night time. While across the borders we sleep through the night, Ukrainians are only allowed to nap… compliments of the Russian army.
Multiple thunderous booms shake up the city. Elena, sleep-deprived clicks the record button on her smartphone as a witness to Russia’s madness claiming to save Ukrainians from fascists. Well, are the Russian troops enabling another Hitler, or as my aunt calls him, a new Putler?
At night. Lights must be out in Ukraine. It’s the law to keep everyone safe. You eat, you drink, you do it all in darkness. You can’t shower. The water’s muddier than you anyway. You even drive without lights as you evacuate people. Groping through the pitch black rooms and roads it’s all you got.
We all live in countries governed by darkness. A world where killing babies it’s called choice; shameful sexual relations are called rights; immodesty is called fashion; intoxication is called fun; laziness is government funded, watching a country get bombed is good politics, and saying that “men can’t get pregnant” is discrimination.
“Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness…
…Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks” Isaiah 5:20-22 NIV
It’s spiritual night in our homelands. It’s risky indeed to give the enemy a sign of light and life. You’re doomed for attack. So, the enemy says “Lights out please”. So, we are tempted to obey.
The Bible encourages us to “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NLT
In spite of the possible spiritual attacks, we ought to stand out even if we look like a sore thumb to the world.
C. S. Lewis said it well “When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.”
If being vocal about Jesus makes us less popular, let it be so.
If our fascination with the Bible makes us weird, let it be so.
If our loving response toward our enemy seems crazy, let it be so.
If singing in our suffering it’s strange, let it be so.
We’ve been given the privilege to believe, and the privilege to suffer for Christ.. or to look a little foolish.
“Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.” Philippians 1:27-29 NIV
The evil one is trying to snuff out our lights through suffering, through doubts, through discomfort…
May we declare in faith Romans 8…
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NLT