Dec 1992 - Editorial

An often expressed difficulty of atheists and agnostics is that of understanding why a God of love permits human suffering; it seems they expect God to intervene in some way to change the course of events and to prevent "accidents" or even the consequences of malicious sinful actions. In contrast the Scriptures record dire predictions of awful events overtaking mankind: earthquakes, wars, famines, seen in association with God's purposes of judgement. Scoffers say that everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation, but as Peter accurately states, in this they deliberately forget the facts of earlier divine intervention in judgement. But the unbelievers also wilfully ignore the greatest divine intervention in human history when the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world; what love! Human resistance or disbelief cannot change the facts of the outworking of God's purposes of love and righteousness. In our final issue of this year we are reminded of how God has indeed intervened in ways not expected by men, for the fact of the Lord's miracles is testimony to divine intervention. So also is the fact of an unfolding plan among the nations, as Earth's political and religious formations are brought to conclusion by the over-ruling of God.

It is timely to remind ourselves of a coming kingdom of peace. That is part of the comfort provided by the Psalms. Messiah's reign on Earth is a topic of valuable study, and addresses the preconditions for a time when God will take an even more direct and forceful role in the affairs of men, for then He will. World Peace at last! What a fitting title to the last in our series of meditations in the Psalms. 1992 has certainly demonstrated man's inhumanity to man, as noted in our FOCUS comments this month, and elusive peace is so much the more desired. Praise God that a deeper peace is the blessing of the believer, even now! "My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27).

unknown | Dec 1992
Editorial