Nothing New Under the Sun

Anyone who knows me knows that I typically have no stomach for watching “the news”…(I have trust issues) and I don’t believe anything the news media says (3 sides to every story: 1 side, the other side, and then somewhere in the middle is the truth). But lately, my investigative, historical enthusiast, and forever learner self has become completely engulfed in WORLD news and I find myself constantly seeking out news sources from all over the globe.

I have been following the war going on overseas daily, since the Oct 7th attack, and was actually watching the live footage all day every day during the few days the hostage exchanges were taking place. During the time negotiations were taking place, and each set of hostages were being released each day, the news was filling the space in between with video footage of the Oct 7th attack and different source commentaries on how terrorists are infiltrating EVERY country and how we should all be on high alert for the uncertain future (and a violent one) that is to come. All this constant fear that I was allowing to make consistent daily deposits into my mind, several times a day, was taking a dramatic toll on my overall mental and even physical health!

Soooo…on one particular day during all the live footage, I was sharing ALL of this with my husband and also sharing how much it was internally impacting me, and that’s when he (the man who eats sleeps and breaths all things news and stock related) had the audacity to ask me, in a frustrated voice, “Why do you care so much?!?!” To which I thought to myself (and probably said out loud with my facial expressions and body language), “EXCUSE ME?!?!??? Who are you, the man who stays hooked up to a news IV all day every day, to ask me such an incredibly hypocritical question?!?!”

Well let me give you a little back story…..

Several months back, my husband was so CONSUMED, day in and day out, with politics and all of our US conflicts. He became SO obsessed to a degree that he couldn’t even be present in the daily activities of our family without staying glued to his phone. During this time, it had gotten to a point where it seemed like the only conversations he was interested in having were news related ones, which he peppered in bitterness and fear based biases. I didn’t follow the news and was only interested in living life to the fullest and enjoying every moment. Our home we live in sets back off a very busy road and I remember one summer evening, our son playing in the yard as we sat on the front steps and my husband lectured me, as usual, on all the ways we need to be prepared for the WORST (from local random acts of violence to global catastrophe)…..I finally yelled out at him at the top of my lungs “IS THERE ANY THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT?!?! CAN YOUR INTENSE FEAR BASED OBSESSION AND NEED TO KNOW IT ALL, AND DAILY GOAL TO INSTILL CONSTANT FEAR IN ME, PREVENT AN-Y-THING THAT IS DESTINED TO OCCUR IN OUR LIVES?!?!?!” That resonated. He got it. He stopped.

So now lets fast forward to the day he turned my words on me (picking up where we left off a paragraph ago)……

Since October 7th I have found myself also becoming a little TOO obsessed with world news, so when my husband asked me the “Why do you care” question, at first I was put off at his flamboyantly hypocritical question, but then he followed it up with, “Is there anything you can do about it?” That follow up question stopped me in my tracks and, after taking a minute to process, I realized I needed and appreciated that reminder of the very words I had spoken (to put it mildly) to him months before. AND I needed a reminder of who is ultimately in control and always has been, and always will be. Our GOD!!

You see, what was happening was this, the news was no longer being told to me, it was getting inside of me……I had given the ultimate enemy (satan…with a little “s”) a foothold and he was building a rock wall!!

But after a lot of prayer and reflection, and after reading God’s word A LOT….I have come to a realization, “All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear it’s fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:8-9

Have you ever read a book and then watched the movie?! Same thing!! I swear I feel like I am LITERALLY watching the book of “Revelation” and all different parts of scripture played out (even a lot of re-runs)!! It’s heart breaking and eye opening at the same time!!

But what I have found to be true is this…..”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8-16

This time of year we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It’s a joyous time, full of traditions, songs, decor, festivities, and holiday cheer…..which is how it should be!! However, as I reflect on the climate and current situations that exist in the world today, I am reminded that after Jesus, the Son of GOD, the Savior, Prince of Peace, The Great I AM, was born into the world….He and his mother and father, Mary and Joseph, had to immediately go into HIDING!!! They were forced to escape from Bethlehem to Egypt because King Herod had received word that the Messiah had been born and so Herod was killing all the male babies (2 yrs and younger) as far as he could reach. This event, known as “The Massacre of the Innocents”, was Herod’s effort to prevent the Messiah, the TRUE Son of God, from entering the world.

“After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead. So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel…and lived in a town called Nazareth.” Matthew 2:19-21

So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:23)

My point is this…

No matter how ugly the world may appear, or how circumstances (and news media) would have us believe it’s hopeless and we should all hunker down and live each day in fear, Hope is alive!! There is nothing new under the SON (intentional miss spelling), and NOTHING, not one single act or event, personally or worldly, catches our God off guard or by surprise. He knows every single thought and action before it even takes place and has already put a plan in place, past, present, and future! Our story, which is His story, has already been written from start to finish. His word tells us that He’s working ALL things for the good of those who love him!! His word did not say that he’s working “some things….” or “a few things….”, His word says ALL things….and I believe Him!! Hope is alive because Jesus is ALIVE!! Jesus came to set ALL captives free!! Freedom from fear and an ETERNAL HOPE belongs to everyone who believes that Jesus lived, died, was resurrected from the dead!! HE LIVES!! And one day very soon He WILL return so that all who do believe can live an eternal life with Him in the Kingdom of God. Jesus is Lord!!

So here’s my question….

What challenges are YOU facing today? Who do you trust to provide answers? God can be trusted and will provide what we need when we spend time in prayer and reading His word daily!

Are you worried? God can turn your worry into peace!

Are you lonely? God can fill that void completely!

Is your heart is broken?! He is your ultimate healer!

Do you feel powerless? He is your ultimate source for strength!

In fact, you can even praise Him and be thankful before the answers and solutions come because God is ALWAYS faithful to provide for the needs of those who choose to place their hope in Him. So let us hold fast the confession of our hope, he who promised is faithful…help is on the way!! (Hebrews 10:23)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Merry CHRISTmas to all and to all a good life!!!

Authentically yours,

Crystal Porter