Jump Start # 3036

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

This is a special Jump Start. I have never written anything like this. My heart compels me to not be silent. As I write these words, the city of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is being assaulted by powerful Russian forces. Most did not think we would ever see a nation invading another nation in our modern times. It is scenes of Germany in 1939. The citizens of Ukraine are digging in and preparing to fight to their death. Images have appeared of whole families holding weapons, preparing to fight and fathers kissing their children goodbye at train stations, knowing there is a good chance that they will not live to see them again. And, the world watches.  A tyrant and a bully is literally killing innocent people. There are beloved brethren within Ukraine. Indeed, troublesome times are here.

Our verse today is powerful. God dealt with Pharaoh. God took care of the Philistines. God defeated the Assyrians. Babylon. Greeks. Romans. Biblical history has shown that our God cannot be defeated. We do not know His purpose in all of this. But our passage reminds us that God can turn hearts. He can turn the hearts of kings then, and He can turn the hearts of world leaders today.

I ask you this day to take just a moment and do some serious praying for our world.

• Pray for our brethren in Ukraine that they will be safe.
• Pray for the courage of those fighting for their countries freedom.
• Pray that God will change the heart of Russian Putin.
• Pray that God will change the heart of the world’s leaders as they watch all of this.
• Pray for our own hearts that they will be governed by the will of God.

There is a very strong chance that things could become much worse before they get better. Hardships in our economy and the difficulty in assembling together may be a reality. Let’s take care of each other. Let’s be there. This is not a time to trash talk politics but a time to pray.

Let’s remember our dear beloved like Antipas in Revelation 2, Stephen in Acts 7, or Daniel in the lion’s den. More important than money in our accounts, is the salvation of souls. Our children and grandchildren are seeing the evidence of a world that is broken and in need of Jesus.

The Bible ends with these words, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Will you pray?

Roger