God Dispatched?
by Malcolm Wood
The other day I received an email telling me that the book I had ordered was on its way. The computer had abbreviated the title of the book to enable it to fit into the first line of the message and the result took my attention and gave me food for thought. It read; 'Your order of ‘Strands of Destiny: How God ... has been dispatched’.
Although it was obvious that the remainder of the title had been omitted to save space, the arrangement of the words that were left gave a sad but true reflection of our world today. Sadly there are numerous illustrations of how God has been dispatched from so many areas of our lives, particularly here in the West.
A total disregard for God and His word is prevalent in every area of our society, with little or no respect for the laws and principles on which our nation was founded through our Judaeo/Christian heritage. The concept that there’s a God, and that He’s interested in the affairs of man, is foreign to so many, and irrelevant to others. We’ve become so ‘clever’ that few see the need for God, because we can ‘do it all our way’.
What Paul says to Timothy, with regard to the last days, is an accurate description of where we’re at; ‘People will love themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to parents and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred’ (2 Timothy 3:2). The rest of that passage is also worth a read, as a reflection of our present times.
Jesus Himself also tells us what to expect on earth during the days before He returns. In Matthew 24 we read a detailed description; ‘Many will turn away from me and hate each other', and, ‘Sin will be rampant everywhere and the love of many will grow cold’. Fortunately, amongst the darkness and despondency portrayed here, there is a bright ray of hope and encouragement for those holding on to the truth. Verse 13 says ‘But those who endure to the end will be saved.' A remnant remains; an Elijah people, uncompromisingly holding up the word of truth.
As society around us seems to be plunging further and further into apostasy, it’s good to remind ourselves that God’s still on the throne, and, as the old chorus says, ‘He will remember his own.' God’s looking for a people who will uncompromisingly hold on to the truth and, like Elijah of old, declare and demonstrate the presence and power of God to a depraved society.
Let Paul’s advice to the church at Philippi encourage us, ‘You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. Hold tightly to the word of life’ (Philippians 2:15-16).
Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me to be a good witness for You. I pray that something of Your presence, Your life and Your love might be seen in the way I live and relate to other people, so they might come to know there’s a God who cares for them. Amen.
Malcolm Wood and his wife Anna became part of the Ellel family as House Managers at Ellel Grange in 1990. Since then they have been involved with many aspects of the developing Ministry. From 2001 until 2015 they were Directors of Ellel Scotland where they hosted several International Schools and Operation Blairmore and helped pioneer the exciting Creative Inspiration Weeks. They have three sons.
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