Hope Under Fire
by Hal Lindsey
America is awash in spirituality. Yet spiritual hunger continues to grow exponentially. That’s because spirituality that is not anchored in truth does not satisfy. Satan rarely bothers to attack spirituality. In fact, he usually encourages it. One of his great goals is to fulfill the prophecy about people in the “last days” given in 2 Timothy 3:5. It says they will have “a form of godliness but denying its power.”
He wants people to spout spiritual platitudes but ignore what God has to say. Why? Because the word of God bridges the gap between the mind of God and the mind of man. Through His word, God’s thoughts flow to human minds. Satan wants to block that bridge.
In Genesis 3:1, Satan asked Eve, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’”
“Has God indeed said” remains at the heart of his attack on humanity to this day. In verse 4, Satan’s attack goes further — this time directly contradicting God’s words. “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’”
The wonder of the ages is that God has spoken to human beings. The title of a book by Francis Schaeffer says it perfectly — He Is There and He Is Not Silent. Since His words convey His thoughts to our minds, that’s where Satan concentrates his fire.
And today, as never before, the Bible is under assault. Even evangelical Christian ministers are denying major parts of the Bible. One of the world’s most influential preachers said the Church needs to “unhitch itself from the Old Testament.” While we should always emphasize the difference between law and grace, we have to remember that it is the Old Testament which verifies the New Testament. Jesus didn’t just pop in out of the blue. The Old Testament talked about Him for thousands of years in advance of His coming. The Old Testament was His calling card. We can’t unhitch the Old Testament without undermining the New Testament.
In Jeremiah 6:16, God said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you shall find rest for your souls.’”
In times like these, the whole world needs “rest for your souls.” We will find it in the ancient path laid out by God in both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 2:5 implores Israel. “Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
You will find peace, comfort, joy, and power in God’s revelation of Himself, and you will find that revelation in the Bible. In Isaiah 30:21, God says, “And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” In John 14:6, Jesus told us exactly what that means. He said, “I am the way.”
In Mark 13:31, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
In a time when everything seems to be changing, God reminds us of something that does not change — His Word. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will not pass away. That’s something to which we can anchor our lives, our hopes, and all our tomorrows. That’s an anchor the whole world desperately needs right now.
