Can A Nation Be Born in A Day? God's Sovreignty and The Promise of Change

Can a Nation Be Born in A Day?
The Promise of Change: Are You Really Ready?

Forty years ago today, June 8, 1967, Israel won
the 6-Day War. I was nine years old, not interested
in politics or religion, but thought that 6 days was
not a very long time for a war. Even then I knew
that certain things generally took a significant
amount of time. So a six day war seemed unlikely, even
to a nine year old. As an adult, defeating the
armies of Egypt and Jordan in six days, taking
Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai
seems equally unlikely, even to someone
who believes in miracles.

On May 14, 1948, the state of Israel reappears as a
nation in modern history. Isaiah asks, "Can a nation
be born in a day?" (Isaiah 66:8). "Of course not!" is
the human and expected answer. God promised
to make Israel a nation while it was still making
bricks in the slavery of Egypt (Gen. 15, Ex. 32:13).
And when God makes a promise, He is well able
to keep it, no matter what it looks like. The
same holds true for you.

With any birth there is a lot of waiting. Nine
months of it. In our lives there can be a lot
more then nine months of waiting for something
to be born. But then, when the baby is ready
to come, he or she comes quickly and changes
things irrevocably! A nation was born in a day, but
look at all that had to proceed its moment
of destiny!

It is often hard to wait for God to birth
what He has ordained for you. It is a mysterious
process of waiting for Him, co-operating with
Him, but not using your own strength to
bring it forth. Pain in childbirth entered
the world because we decided to take things
into our own hands and do what we felt
was best. Effortless birth, both physical
and spiritual, was God's original plan for us.

Now, due to the ravages of sin in the world,
birth can be anything but effortless.
Change can be a long time in coming. The
promise of God can be delayed. A nation
being born in a day can seem an impossible
thought. A six day war, in the light of our
own personal circumstances, and especially
in light of our own nation's present conflict,
can seem ridiculously short.

Press on. Be faithful. Things can appear
like they never will change, and then,
Voila!, all is different. Eternal change
can happen in the blink of an eye. Indeed,
it is promised to happen: ...."Behold I tell you
a mystery: We shall not sleep but we shall
all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet. " (I Cor 15. 51-2).

Hmmm. Isn't that interesting?
Eternal change in a moment!
...WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED.
We look around, like the people, described
by the apostle Peter, and say, "Where is He?
things have been the same forever!"

"Knowing this first: that scoffers will
come in the last days, walking according
to their own lusts, and saying, “Where
is the promise of His coming? For since
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue
as they were from the beginning of creation.”

For this they willfully forget: that by the
word of God the heavens were of old, and
the earth standing out of water and in
the water, by which the world that then
existed perished, being flooded with
water. But the heavens and the earth
which are now preserved by the same word,
are reserved for fire until the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, do not forget this one
thing, that with the Lord one day is as
a thousand years, and a thousand years
as one day. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
...

Therefore, beloved, looking
forward to these things, be diligent to be
found by Him in peace, without spot and
blameless; (2 Peter 3).

Change, slow to happen, will overtake
us so rapidly that there will be no
time to prepare. Our time to prepare
is now, and the Lord is giving us time
because He does not wish us to perish.

Change, though slow to happen, will
happen. Does happen. Is sovereignly
destined to happen. This does not
pertain solely to the return of the
Lord, but to the promise of God
being fulfilled in our hearts and lives.

His Promise is sure, although what
we hope it to look like may be
a bit different from what God has
in mind. Do be careful that you
are not presuming, but be steadfast
in your trust in God's good way for
you.

The Lord will be victorious in
the hearts of all those who allow
Him to work His peaceable kingdom
in them. Until then there is war,
a war for your very soul. And a
war for Israel. None of us, nation
or individual, should rely on
human strength, but on the arm
of the Almighty One. "Those
who are with us, are more
then those against us."

Changes are coming. Irrevocable
ones. It is important that we
be ready for them, so while you
are waiting, take a look at your
heart and make sure you are
prepared for the sudden change of
the door of opportunity clanging
shut with a bang. Do not lament
what appears to be delay. Labor
far into the night. It is you and
I that God is waiting for.

A new nation, the kingdom of
God's dear Son, will be born in
a moment. The Lord will be victorious
in a moment, and will not even need six
days, or even one.

Be steadfast. Change is ordained,
at least until that day when all is
perfect. Change, she be a'coming.

Six Day War
the Nation of Israel
change
the return of Christ
the kingdom of God
waiting
current events
the promises of God
tough times
Isaiah 66:8