Hear the News? See the News? What Are YOU Doing to Help?

The TV news, the radio news, the Internet news, the newspapers . . . we seem to be overloaded with reports of bad news, scary news,  unacceptable behavior of all sorts, and more and more terrible disasters. 

What are we nice, normal people supposed to do?  Let’s not just flip it off and ignore what’s happening.  

• Let’s pray for the victims and their families. 
• Let’s pray for the criminals, the gangs, the hateful people.      
• Let’s pray for the police, the firefighters, the rescue groups.  
• Ask God’s blessing on our Armed Forces, the Congress, the President,  the judges, the local elected politicians.  
• Certainly, pray for your own protection, for help that you need, for your neighborhood and town.  Pray for wisdom for what to say and what to do.

Each of us needs a serious outlook on how to improve these situations.  If we care, we do something.                  Y E S !

by Elaine Hardt @2018

Today's News Is About Terrible Things -- So What?

       Today’s news programs were “normal.” From TV reports to Internet sites there wasn’t any “good” news around the world. Interviews involved picking out a few comments to argue about vehemently for a short time. 

        How do you and I respond?  

1. Turn off the news and avoid thinking about it?  Emotionally and intellectually deny the powerful, horrible truth of what’s going on?

2. Or, give at least one news report a quick listen so we can act like we’re keeping up with the various situations; we’re not careless or stupid?

3. Or, immerse ourselves in all the details we can find in print and on-line?  This way we can show up all the people we might talk with?  We know more facts and opinions of famous people?

       What’s our motive?  Do we have a plan, a goal? Or, is watching the news just a habit that launches the day?

       Does it really matter?  Does what I choose, what I do make any difference in the “big picture” of life? 

         As people who care what’s going on many of us miss our “assignment.”  We are to pray for the misled people to awaken to the truth of good and evil. Pray for the “bad” people to repent of their sins and to hear the good news of the truth of God’s Word.  Judgment from God brings them troubles which are meant to emphasize their need of God:  repent before they die and face eternal consequences.     

        Here’s a few Bible verses to get you started in this calling, 
this challenge to pray for others: 

The Evening News and YOU

Several friends recently confided to me that they don’t watch the evening news on TV anymore. I agreed that the news reports are mostly no fun, and watching for an hour and a half at supper time interferes with family conversation.  

    We don’t need to listen or watch the news all day long, but we do need to know what’s happening.  To prudently prepare we need to be properly informed. Honestly, we cannot ignore or deny the problems of our town, our nation, and the world. 

    We can pray.  No, God does not need our ideas.  We don’t tell Him what He doesn’t know.  But praying right then acknowledges the seriousness of the situations, while it lifts our burden of worry, fear, or anger.