Prophetic Encouragement

I’m struggling with a writing project, but I’ll share some important perspective. It’s perhaps prophetic encouragement in a double-sense, as you will see.*

*No inner-voices, soft or loud, subtle or screaming, were used in the inspiring exchange of religious comfort and discussion.

 

Despite knowing a more complete outline than I’ve ever had, I was getting nowhere with my project. So, the other day I turned to Facebook.

The long story is that the state of the world is just getting me, and so many others, down! Sin is positively heart-breaking and earth shattering. Governments crumble, while scarier governments stand or rise. It is such serious business, and so much of our Christian hope is simply on the other side of this age.

But a random assortment of well-meaning Facebookers offered me this:

  • Deplorable states can result in gifts like the Small Catechism.
  • We can still speak, and we can speak the truth in love.
  • Our call is not to make a difference: our call is to be faithful.
  • Lastly—bear with me on this one—some of the prophets were sent to fail, and they proclaimed anyway.

I’m a big fan of the Old Testament, and I think literacy in Old Testament concepts, stories, and themes would skyrocket if people just read their Bibles! And, you know the New Testament? It reflects back on the Old Testament!

For our purposes right now, consider James 5:10: “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” Reading the prophets we see how dire audiences can be. At times prophets—the very men to speak while carried along by the Holy Spirit—were almost hopeless that God’s Word could turn the twisted tides. Yet, by the will and work of God, they still made a difference. They continue to make a difference every time a person opens a Bible.

Further, they continue to stand in the presence of God, giving thanks and praise to Him. They wait for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. They served God and man in their vocation and their enduring writings have been world-changing, and world-awaiting, ever since.

We are not prophets. We aren’t writing Scripture. But this may be the way the world is. It may get worse.  Still, we have vocations. By the will and work of God, we make a difference, too.

As the world rapidly changes, this may be a time when written material takes on even more importance. That is, now may be a time to speak, write, and research what we can to learn and preserve it for later, to the comfort of souls and testimony of truth.

So, write. Even if there’s no novel in you. Non-fiction may lack the romantic following of fiction, but write for your loved ones: letters, emails, posts, articles, essays, anything you have to give in mercy toward the world. Make a gift with your words. Speak the truth with love. Be faithful. God will determine success and failure.

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Filed under As Christian Writers, Theological reflection

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