The world has watched as ISIS continues to systematically kill Christians for no other reason than the fact that they're Christians. As I read the articles and watch the news reports, this thought continues to come to my mind: "What if ISIS came here?" A myriad of other thoughts are there as well, but this is the one that continues to haunt me. And if the world continues to do nothing in response to these evil men, we very well may come face to face with the answer to that question, no matter where we live. So, what if ISIS came to Bogota? What if, one day, we received a report that ISIS was here, and they were heading for our school or our home? Let me tell you what ISIS would want from us. The want us to fear. A simple Google image search of ISIS will bring horrific images into your mind, that they hope will strike fear in our hearts. Just read one of their most recent statements:
"You will not have safety even in your dreams, until you accept Islam. All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes, especially if you are fighting us all together."
Safety. Man, they nailed it. Isn't that what humans ultimately care most about? We will take risks, but only if we know it's within the realm of safety. We want our kids to be safe. We want our spouses to be safe. We want our friends to be safe. We care for our own lives. And that's not a bad thing. We should love people. And love often desires safety.
Unless we're talking about the greatest love that this world has ever known. The love that came from heaven and bore the eternal wrath of God on our behalf, so that we could bear the eternal pleasure of God on His behalf. This love doesn't desire safety for us. This love tells us to love our enemies, and to pray for those who persecute us. To count our lives as nothing and to count death as gain.
The Creator of the universe doesn't desire your safety, He desires your life.
Isn't it ironic that the very thing ISIS is using to strike fear into the hearts of Christians, is actually the very thing that should bring us the greatest joy? They threaten us with death! Hallelujah! For death is the only thing in this world that will bring us face to face with our Savior, for whom we long.
May we never cling so tightly to our love of safety, that we lose sight of the One who exchanged the safety of heaven for the suffering of the cross. He faced death and conquered it, so that we could come to our moment of death, whether at the hands of ISIS, cancer, or old age, and know that we have nothing to fear, if we have placed our trust in Jesus, our Lord and our God.
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life....
THIS I KNOW, THAT GOD IS FOR ME. IN GOD, WHOSE WORD I PRAISE, IN GOD I TRUST; I SHALL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?"
-Psalm 56:4-6, 10-11
If ISIS surprises us with their presence, with their threats of death, with their claims to rip any sense of safety out of our lives, we won't fear. For our trust is in God.
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