DATE: September 3, 2020
BY: Pastor Bob Miller
TITLE: ‘The Other Third”
CHAPTER READ: Revelation 8
SCRIPTURE SELECTED: Revelation 8:7
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
OBSERVATION: The trumpets begin to sound and with each trumpet trial or tribulation upon the earth is described as happening to 1/3 of the earth or the peoples of the earth. The first trumpet seems to speak of storms and fire which could lead to famine and destruction of homes. In each case the destruction and suffering which result is limited to 1/3 of the earth.
APPLICATION: We live in a day where our newspapers speak of famine, fires, destruction, hunger, refugees, lack of water, loss of crops, hurricanes, tornadoes, and drought but so much of that news takes place “over there” in the THIRD World and so we tend to ignore it and even grow immune to the suffering going on in our world. As long as it doesn’t effect “us” we don’t let it affect how we live our lives. I’m afraid that I have become callused to the reports of the tragedies that occur elsewhere to the other third of our world.
PRAYER: Lord, forgive my arrogance and nonchalance which has allowed me to ignore the suffering that is taking place around our world especially in THIRD world countries without adequate resources. Lord I have more than I need and I need to do better in using my resources to care for those in need. Amen