When the Day is At Hand

[Prayer-Soldier]

When the Day is At Hand

Scripture:

For behold the day shall come kindled as a furnace: and all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall set them on fire, says the Lord of hosts, it shall not leave them root, nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings: and you shall go forth, and shall leap like calves of the herd. (Malachi 4:1-2)

For yourselves know how you ought to imitate us. For we were not disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man?s bread for nothing: but in labor and in toil we worked night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you. Not as if we had not power: but that we might give ourselves a pattern unto you, to imitate us. For also, when we were with you, this we declared to you: that, if any man will not work, neither let him eat. For we have heard there are some among you who walk disorderly: working not at all, but curiously meddling. Now we charge them that are such and beseech them by the Lord Jesus Christ that, working with silence, they would eat their own bread. (2 Thessalonian 3:7-12)

And some saying of the temple that it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said: These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass? Who said: Take heed you be not seduced: for many will come in my name, saying: I am he and the time is at hand. Go ye not therefore after them. And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified. These things must first come to pass: but the end is not yet presently. Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be great earthquakes in diverse places and pestilences and famines and terrors from heaven: and there shall be great signs. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for the sake of my name. And it shall happen unto you for a testimony. Lay it up therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends: and some of you they will put to death. And you shall be hated by all men for the sake of my name. But a hair of your head shall not perish. In your patience you shall possess your souls. (Luke 21:5-19)

Reflection:

Those who do not respect Him walk with false confidence that what they do in selfishness and in harm of others will not be held to account. Like the thief who believes they will never be caught, the schemers and corrupt believe they can ignore His Word without consequence, but the day will come where He will deliver justice. He will hold close the life lived seeking His Word. Blessed are those who follow His path for they will find fulfillment well beyond the life wasted seeking the folly of the world.

The ways of those who lead fall not only under the scrutiny of the people, but more importantly the scrutiny of the Lord. For a time He has left to the children of His creation the opportunity to care for their affairs, but the day will come where He will look at all, and especially those who led, and ask, what have you done in justice and injustice? The one who leads with justice need not fear and should look forward to the embrace of the Lord; but the one who has schemed, sowed divisions, enabled sin, taxed unjustly, stoked violence and ruled in oppression of the faithful should tremble at the very thought of the day they must stand before the Judge of all.

The hands which find work find blessings for they yield value from what they do. Hands which join together build prosperity and spread blessings from which all may grow. Those who are able, but wander in laziness or the toils of evil deliver only the wages of darkness. They consume prosperity and yield emptiness. The end to which they come will not be envied.

Blessed are the hands of responsibility for they will lessen the burden upon others and deliver unto the less fortunate. Those who live by just rewards shall not go unnoticed by Him, nor will those who live by ill gotten gain; and in that day He will determine justice.

Though great troubles may be brought in this world upon the faithful by the wicked and servants of evil, the devotion to His Word will yield blessings the dishonorable cannot know. We have been warned of the false prophets and the unscrupulous who will meddle with the hearts of the people, sowing divisions so that conflicts will rage and people will be driven to do evil. As people turn in hate upon one another, they fail the commandments to love.

The way evil works is to set young against old, rich against poor, skin against skin and faith against faith. The faithful are tempted to judge, though we are told we should not judge, lest we be judged. Wherever we believe we are superior to another, we fall into the trap of the evil one. Ours is not to hate the sinner, for He called us to love one another, but neither is ours to enable the sin. Our hands should be outstretched in love, for we are called to seek peace and justice for the blessings of all; but when justice fails, the faithful must stand prepared to protect the innocent.

When the evil one is successful and violence rises, the faithful will be faced with the test in what they do and what they fail to do. When violence is at hand, the faithful must take care they do not become as those who brought evil. When evil is vanquished, it is not for the faithful to seek retribution or spoils of the wicked; rather, the faithful must resume their focus to help the less fortunate, even if those who suffer are among those who sought to bring harm. Only when we understand we are all children of His creation and He offered no exceptions when He commanded that we should love one another as He loves us will we find the path to peace.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier