I was reading a weather report regarding Hurricane Sandy Frankenstorm.
The CT Post
calls it a "freakish and unprecedented monster." This is the storm of
mega-proportions that due to its combined elements of tropical storm,
arctic nor'easter and unusual trajectory have made an historic storm of
never-before-seen power. Billions will be affected by this
Sunday-Tuesday with wind, rain, and snow. The impacts are expected to
linger well into the weeks or even months. Power is expected to be out
for days along the most populated segment of the nation: Washington DC
to Boston Mass or even as far north as Portland, Maine. That is
according to current weather analyses.
It seems that the storms have been coming one upon the other, almost.
This is true for the entire globe, but especially true for America. It
was
a year ago May
that the tornado outbreak at Joplin MO hit, wiping out the town and a
good many other towns too. Then we had severe drought, wildfires, snow,
derechos, floods and more in a non-stop train of disasters and storms.
In addition, there have been thwarted terrorist attacks , mass
shootings, Molotov cocktails, and unparallelled violence in Detroit and
other cities. Then we had wars, cyberwars, and overseas involvement in
successful and failed missions (Benghazi, anyone? WHO left them to
DIE?).
People are weary. Just when we got over one set of disasters or near
disasters, another one occurs that is worse. The Frankenstorm is a case
in point.
I was reading
an article about
the coming storm that called it a hybrid, 800 mile storm set to impact
millions and tens of millions of people. In the midst of the hubbub of
the actual event, so large the mind can hardly contain what may be
coming, one man's tears moved me.
"Across the street, Douglas Jumper, whose first floor took on nearly 5
feet of water during Irene, was tying down his patio furniture on Friday
and moving items in his wood shop to higher ground. "I'm tired. I am
tired," Jumper, who turns 58 on Saturday, said through tears. "We don't
need this again."
What is happening in the world is a battle. It always has been a fight
since the fall, but because we are close to the end the battle is more
furious, more visible, and more potent against the humans who dwell on
the earth.
Christians know we're in a spiritual battle. Secular people don't, but
we do. Satan rages against God and against His children. God rages
against sin. The Christian battles his own personal sin, and each of
suffers from the effects of it and from the effect of others' sins. It
is a fight all the time. We must be constantly vigilant, (
James 4:7) on guard (
1 Peter 5:8) and wearing our armor. (
Ephesians 6:10-17).
Even having the Holy Spirit in us to energize us, it is a weary thing
to always be on guard against a relentless and intelligent enemy bent on
our destruction. Ask any soldier. (
Illustration: artist unknown, Illustrator of Henry Davenport Northrop's 'Treasures of the Bible', 1894)
The bible warns us against growing tired and losing heart.
"Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." (
Galatians 6:9)
Notice the word IF. This says to me that it
is possible to lose
heart. The verse is talking about not getting tired of being kind and
patient and loving. We become appalled at obstacles, disheartened at
betrayals, grief-stricken over sin, and sometimes we just plain tire of
the battle.
Jeremiah said in chapter 45:3 "You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added
sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'"
Imagine how hard it is for those people who do not have the Holy Spirit
in them to help restrain their sin, grow in Christ-likeness, and in
doing well to others. How is it for them who do not know Christ and
wonder at the storms. I awaken this morning to news of a 7.7 quake in
British Columbia (
Mark 13:8)
and a tsunami warning for Hawaii and small tsunami waves already
hitting the American west coast. So both the east of America and the
west are being pummeled.
The man from the article, Mr. Jumper, comes to mind. I do not know if he
is saved or not, but his weariness just struck me. I can empathize. The
battle against the worldly elements must seem insurmountable...one
storm after another means that there is constant activity to protect,
board, evacuate, adrenaline flowing, family members to be rounded up,
cared for, evacuated. Then the waiting through the storms, never knowing
if your home will even be there after it is all said and done. Then
afterwards the constant activity expended to get back up and running,
repairs, insurance calls, re-building....
And then it happens again. And then again.
We are told that the end time is like a woman giving birth. The long
gestation began when Jesus ascended and will end when He returns in
glory. As the pregnancy nears its bloody conclusion the discomfort grows
as the pressure increases to unbearable levels. And when the labor
pangs begin the pain only increases in frequency and intensity. The
brief periods of respite between the pangs grow shorter in duration and
soon before one can catch one's breath the next pang comes crashing
down. It is like that with the Frankenstorm and the major earthquake.
And the Tribulation will be so much worse. We need more than ever to
carry each other's burdens. (
Galatians 6:2).
Without the Lord, I don't know how people even cope. Perhaps they are not coping.
Battle fatigue:
Wikipedia explains, 'Now called "Combat stress reaction (CSR), is a term
used within the military to describe acute behavioral disorganization
seen by medical personnel as a direct result of the trauma of war. Also
known as "combat fatigue", historically, it has some link to shell
shock. Combat stress reaction is an acute reaction including a range of
behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the
combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue,
slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's
surroundings, and inability to prioritize."
You can
go here to look at the symptoms of combat fatigue, or see the chart below. Click to enlarge.
Satan brings disorder into our physical world by afflicting humans (Job 1-2;
2 Corinthians 12:7;
Hebrews 2:14).
The disorder is not just external but internal also. In my opinion I
believe the symptoms many people are feeling, whether they know they are
in a battle or not, are symptoms of battle fatigue.
Image from World War I taken in an Australian dressing station near
Ypres in 1917. The wounded soldier in the lower left of the photo has a
dazed thousand-yard stare, a frequent symptom of "shell-shock".
(Wikipedia)
Literally, I awaken each morning wondering what dread thing might have
happened overnight. Is Damascus destroyed? The verses in Isaiah 17 say
that it will happen suddenly. Destruction comes quickly, was there an
earthquake? A volcanic explosion? The labor pangs are increasing to a
degree where their effects cannot help but be felt in the world by the
people. People are internalizing the stress of the economic times, the
moral times, and the potential for natural disaster. These
internalizations, fears, tragesides, worries have an effect on the mind
and the body.
 |
| Franz von Stuck, "War," c. 1894 |
The underlying root cause of all this is a spiritual battle over the
deed to the earth. (Satan has already lost and our Savior owns the earth
and everything in it (
Revelation 5:5;
Psalm 24:1),
but satan refuses to believe that, so he presses on, and God lets Him,
until the time is right for us to be taken up and the times to end.)
"Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the
wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be
put out." (
Proverbs 242:19-20)
Gill's Exposition explains
that verse so well: "For their calamity shall rise suddenly,.... And
come upon those that fear not God, and rebel against the king and the
state, and innovate in matters of religion; and especially that bring in
damnable heresies, and, while they cry Peace, peace, and are pleasing
themselves with their new schemes and prosperous success, swift and
sudden destruction comes upon them."
We rejoice in our Holy Savior who does these holy things. There will be much singing in heaven over His conquering of sin. But
watching
the world be warned and punished is HARD. And it has its effects. We
are battle weary too! Those who do not have Jesus are even more battle
weary. At least we know the time is short. They don't know when this
will ever end, and for many who do not heed the warnings, it never will.
Be aware that the spiritual battle of this world is taking its very real
and physical toll on people. Brethren, do not grow weary. The writer of
Hebrews said,
"not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing
near." (
Hebrews 10:25).
I believe this is why: battle fatigue. Its effects are real. Do not
grow weary. It is the last hour! The Lord is near, indeed, He is a very
present help in times of trouble. (
Psalm 46:1)
"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint." (
Isaiah 40:31)
