When the World is on Fire: Stop, Drop, and Scroll

One of my grandsons is almost 3.

Much of his parents’ day is spent teaching him to fear the right things and not to fear the wrong things.

He has no fear of playing near the road, of approaching strangers, or of large dogs they don’t know. He is, however, sometimes afraid of going to sleep in his own bed, unfamiliar foods, or shirts that go on tight over his head.

Fear appears like check engine warnings on the dashboard of our emotional life. It’s wise not to ignore the warning, but we should ask what is causing it and address that, not just live with our check engine light blinking at all times.

When we are afraid, we should Stop, Drop, and Scroll. Stop where we are. Drop what we’re doing to pray. Turn to His Word, the sixty-six scrolls that speak truth to our hearts and minds. In this way, we may experience fear without choosing to live in or nurture fear. This is the first step in refusing to incite fear in others.

While we all know God has written at least 366 Bible verses warning us not to fear, there are warnings of what is wise to fear.

Luke records Jesus saying this: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:4-5)

Solomon advised us in Proverbs 1:7 that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” And, he warns that the danger of not fearing the Lord is this:

“Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” Proverbs 1:28-33 ESV

The war in Israel is tripping check engine lights around the globe.

It’s completely counter-intuitive to imagine that we will not experience fear when we see the horrors occurring near Gaza and hear the threats of further horrors promised in the coming days. We need to heed this warning light and bring our questions to God for a diagnosis and guidance on exactly what we should fear and what we shouldn’t.

One of our prayers today should be, “Lord, we renounce foolish fears and put our eyes on You. Direct our fears so that we fear only You. Give us wisdom to fear eternal dangers, courage to face the realities of war on earth, and peace in every circumstance. Make us quick to obey, bold to speak about the hope we have in our Messiah, and careful not to aid the enemy through fearmongering. We live for You alone. Show us how to order our days to reflect that. We pray for peace in Israel and your protection over all the innocents in that region. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

These next days, weeks, months call for wisdom.

• Before you watch another hour of news, ask yourself what benefits the people of the Mid-East more-your hours spent watching repetitive reports or your extended time in intercessory prayer. (Psalm 122, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24)
• Before you open your mouth about what is happening, ask yourself if what you are about to share will spread fear or incite it in others. Even when it is necessary to share fearful things, we can also speak of the hope of Christ, the sovereignty of God, and the reality of eternal life for those who place their trust in Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-9, James 1:26, Exodus 23:1)
• Before you go to Google search or social media feed, ask yourself if images of horrific torture, terrorism, and execution are beneficial for you to store in your mind. We are witnesses and it’s important to know what people in that region are experiencing but we can get that information through written reports at specific times of day–minus the art. (Matthew 6:22-23, Proverbs 4:23, Psalm 101:3)
• Before you watch the news, if you are a sensitive soul or if you have started having trouble sleeping, do not watch alone. Gather with others to watch the news or call a friend and watch together. Then, read God’s Word and pray together over what you have seen and heard. Then, turn it off.
• Before you speak around children or teens, even if they don’t appear to be listening, modify your tone and use care when you speak. At days’ end, ask young people what they have heard or if there is anything troubling them about what is happening in the world. Help them learn a habit of taking their fears to God by praying with them and over them.

Chicken Little Christians spread warnings without wisdom, panic without peace, fear without faith in the One who is our peace.

When we pray for peace, we must pray not only that those in the Mid-East might know peace now but that they would come to the One, Jesus, who give eternal peace.

And if we represent the God of peace, how do we represent Him well in these times? Not by spreading fear, not by sharing half-prophecies and rumors and frightening reports.

No, we speak truth. We take our fears and concerns to prayer morning, noon, and night so that He maintains our internal peace. We intercede for Jerusalem, for the church in this region, for innocents caught in the conflict on both sides, for Israel’s survival, for peace in the United States, and for truth to reign.

We pray for and seek opportunities to boldly proclaim the gospel. We devote more time to telling stories of survival and of God’s intervention, stories of Israel’s long history of trouble and yet God’s deliverance, stories of Jesus who will return. We spend more time telling these stories than repeating the horrors of war.

And, we keep our eyes on Him.

Mitch Glaser, a Jewish believer in Christ and founder of Chosen People Ministries, recorded this counsel over a year ago on five reasons to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Know that I am praying for you, my friends, God’s loved ones. Let me know what prayer you need.

I will leave you with his words:

I respond to every comment and reply to every email. May God’s peace be on Jerusalem and on your soul.