“Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” – Ronald Reagan
Deer fight to gain, or retain, dominance. Although mainly associated with aggressive bucks that are pumped up with burgeoning levels of testosterone, fighting is not restricted to bucks; female roe deer also engage in battles with others of their own kind too, albeit, less frequently than the bucks.
If you watch animal documentaries you will find all animals fight to gain or mark their territory. It's just not the wild animals that fight, domestic ones do too, and men fight like animals sometimes.
It's hard not to think about fighting with the battles for Ukraine on every TV station. It's a battle to gain dominance with the destruction getting worst every day.
There is always destruction when there is fighting. Those deer get their antlers broke, and those antlers cut the hide and they sometimes bleed and die. People get shot, stab, and drowned, and even when they live after a fight they live with destruction in their bodies and minds.
That quote by Reagan is popular and sounds like the perfect remedy for ending a fight but if one party wants to dominant there will be no peace. It takes two parties to bring peace. In war if one party is pursing peace and that other is not, destruction will follow on both sides really.
Below is a paragraph from my Facebook friend, Zee whose heart is broken by a fight in her country as she watches it be destroyed and people killed right now by a fight she did not start.
(During this time of war, I have been reflecting a lot on how my understanding of numerous Bible passages has changed and transformed. I have always been a peace-loving person and I don't like conflicts between people. As a result, I often couldn't truly understand David's psalms, for example, where he was calling for God's wrath on his enemies. The reason? I never really had enemies. I had people
who disliked me, but enemies?)
God is gonna end all fighting someday. Do I know when? Nope. Do I know how? Yep, read your bible and you can know too.
Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Luke 21:25-26 - And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Until then, lets pray with a pure heart that God comfort those who are suffering all over the world. Lets pray God give you and I courage to witness to the lost. Lets pray
for my friend Zee and her family.
This could be the day Jesus is coming back to get the believers. It could also be 100 more years before He does that too. But mark my words, HE IS COMING.
Real close to the day I read this I had also read Psalm 37: 38-39. I sent it to Zee to pass along to Sam. I wrote this during my Encounter Time this morning: https://livingintheshadow.ovcf.org/2022/03/14/march-14-3/ I, too, pray for Zee and an end to the evil ego maniac behind it all.
ReplyDeleteBut all sinners will be destroyed;
ReplyDeletethere will be no future[e] for the wicked.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
It's hard to feel helpless so am thankful for prayer. I can't imagine a harder time to go through than war at my front door. Her questions and struggles are validated by all of us if we were honest. I do believe God gives us a questioning grace in hard times. I think He even expect it since His own Son ask if there was any other way than the cross. How brave those who stayed, left and came back and even those who left are. Each one is a struggle of the heart. I talk about courage a lot for I pray for it a lot. Not so much in the states but when we lived overseas in Bolivia I remember when the Shining Path had cross into Bolivia from Peru. They were in the mountains surrounding our mission school base supposedly. Thank God they never came to the base but just the thought they could was enough to cause fear and trembly. Grace and courage was there to continue to plan our days with with what could happen. At that point Shining Path were not my enemies but had they come and killed some they would have been. I never pray for peace without thinking of the scriptures that God told us there is no total peace on this earth. Oh but I believe with all my heart someday when He decides there will be a new earth with total peace. Which is why I pray for courage as I fear at times. Courage to live in a world that has wars and rumors of war daily. Courage to get out into the world and spread the gospel. The enemy of our soul is the devil and he invades a person heart and they turn into a Putin. Good scriptures to send them Brother, I am sure they were encouraged to read them and know prayers are going up to the throne room for them.
Thank you for your thoughts and bible verses that give us hope in these crazy out of control times. We can rest in the comfort of knowing God is in control.💖
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan for visiting my site. I seen on Zee facebook that they have left where they were for a safer place and possible out of the country of Ukraine. She said, it's better we leave so my husband does not have to worry about us as he fights. Thank you for praying.
DeleteGod must abhor what is happening in the Ukraine right now, Betty. I will keep Zee and her family in prayer along with the millions of others who are suffering there.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Thank you also Martha for praying for Zee and family. They have moved to a safer place so her husband will have less to worry about as he fights.
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