Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. - Jude 1:21
Devotionals
Meltdown
by Jeff Owenby
On April 26, 1986 one of the worlds worst tragedies fell upon the town of Chernobyl in The Soviet Union. At the time, the town of Pripiyat near the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant, was part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). An explosion of the No. 4 reactor was at first kept secret, and while a deadly drama was unfolding, a sleeping Soviet Union was completely unaware. Operator error was the leading factor in the crisis; safety systems were purposely turned off during a hurried late-night stress test; design flaws and reactor operators working contrary to the stress test checklist also contributed to the catastrophe.
The radiation was so intense that it literally turned one firefighter's eyes from brown to blue. In the vicinity of the reactor core the radiation was measured at 30,000 roentgens (R/s) per hour. An estimated total of more than 150,000 elective abortions were performed in fear of the ensuing cancer that was sure to follow. The pregnancies may very well have been normal, but the fear of the radiation damage prompted a panicked public to act.The events of Chernobyl are a grim reminder that disaster can strike anyone at anytime. In Daniel 12, a revealing of end times concludes with a hopeful glimpse:
[ And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (v.3) ]
We need to remain vigilant, and reach the lost so they may avoid the impending calamity of God's judgment upon the earth. Like the stars, let us choose to shine, and as we are saved by grace, let us strive to save others.
God sends us his message loud and clear that he wants to protect us. He wants us to be drawn to him in faith, and He knows our hearts better than we do. Mark 13:32-33 gives us simple, yet explicit instructions; the author implores us to stay awake in our faith:
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Father, please create in me a blueprint for others to follow that I may do the work I am called to do. I pray that you turn my weakness into victory that I may share your word and your love and your grace.
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