We live in a small town. I hear about the condition of large cities and I see the statistics on the rising prices of goods. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, grocery prices have risen 10.8% in the last year—the largest increase in over 40 years. In the last year, eggs have increased in price by 22%, butter has gone up 19%, chicken 16%. Along with more COVID-19 surges, the monkeypox outbreak, rising crime, and the U.S. funding foreign wars, things haven’t been this bad in America in more than 40 years. This leaves many Christians asking why has God allowed this to happen? The answer, as always, is found in the Scriptures.
“‘Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals. Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign Lord.’” (Ezekiel 14:13-14)
This message that God gave Ezekiel all presupposes a country that sinned against God. Sound like America? Are we moving closer to God or further away? We may not have thought that in 2022 we would have food shortages and famine across the world—let alone in America—and yet we see grocery store shelves empty and limitations put on the number of items that can be purchased because supplies are so limited. God’s message to Ezekiel about the people of a country that sin against Him continues:
“‘Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate. Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness. Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals.’” (Ezekiel 14:15-21)
Invasion, famine, war, enemy armies, epidemics, diseases. We could say, open border policies, famine, war, pandemics, diseases. A great number of things happening in America seem to fit the warning given in Ezekiel 14. If you’ve been wondering why God has allowed all of these things to happen, this is what happens to a people who sin against God. All throughout His warning, God points out that only those who are righteous will be saved and they cannot save anyone else. If God decides to lift His fist against a people, how could they be saved apart from the grace and mercy that comes from God? Make sure you are one of the righteous, one of those called by God who follows Him. The end of time is coming as it always has been, soon. Are you ready?
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.