The Sound Of Violence"Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise."(Isaiah 60:18)
I just couldn't believe the news report, of a mother stabbing her children, and setting their home on fire. One of the three children, her youngest of four years old, she stabbed thirty three times. The older two, at this writing, are in serious condition in the hospital. But the four year old didn't make it. So many shootings and stabbings in our country. If this could be described, as a sound, what kind of sound would it be? The words that come to my mind is evil, and horrific.
Isaiah 60:18 describes a future where violence and destruction are replaced with safety and praise. This verse promises that there will be no more violence or destruction within their borders, and that they will call their walls "Salvation" and their gates "Praise". This signifies a time of divine protection and joyful worship for God's people. What a different this sound would be. God promised that this would be the future sound in Israel. It is not a reality today, because of the Middle-east conflict that keeps going on, but God promised that it would eventually happen. And someday, for America, and for the whole world, the sound of violence will no longer be heard. When Jesus returns, and sets up His kingdom here on earth. (Read Revelation 20:1-15).
In the meantime, what is our task as the church of Jesus Christ today? We are to work to accomplish what the great commission sets forth for us to do. "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
There are so many people who are trapped by Satan's power. The desire to kill, and to harm others, when we don't get our way, or what we want."What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.(James 4:1-3)
I know that this is just part of why the sound of violence is heard so loud and constant in our land. Their are several motivations for violence and murder. The negative attitudes of selfishness, jealousy, hatred, prejudice, the desire for power, pleasure, position. We as the church, must be urgent in sharing the good news concerning Jesus Christ. Instead of the sound of violence, in Him there comes the sound of "salvation", and "praise.." And why? Because there is hope, joy, and peace, which is only found in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let's work hard, to bring people to this blessed sound, that will be a delight to hear, and experience, and which will be heard for all eternity! GP