There. I said it. If you know anything about me, you know that I absolutely love history. It was my favorite subject from elementary school to seminary.
Math? Not so much. But I love history. From reading about it in books… to watching documentaries… to walking in the very places that existed hundreds to thousands of years ago.
Over the last year, I’ve gotten to walk in the steps of some historical places. From Fort Sumter in South Carolina, to Mount Vernon in Virginia, to the Valley of Armageddon in Israel, which is where this photo was taken.
As you look at the photo now, what you see is a fertile land where crops like wheat, corn, tobacco, cotton and millet are grown. It’s hard to believe that over 200 battles have been fought on this very land. But there is a weight to this land. The first reported battle on earth took place here in the 15th century BC. From there, Jezebel and King Josiah were killed in this valley. Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Ottomons here in 1799. There was even a World War One battle fought in this very valley.
But you wouldn’t know it by simply looking at the surface without knowing the history.
There’s another thing about this valley. Megiddo is a place where people have built upon ruins for generations… at least 26 layers of civilization make up the “hill” dating all the way back to 4500 BC. 26 layers of ruins.
There’s one more thing about this valley. It’s the most notable. Armageddon is synonymous with the end of days. Even if you have no knowledge of the Bible, people think of Armageddon as the events that take place when the earth ends.
“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Revelation 16:15-17
This isn’t just a battle to end the earth. No. This is a battle where God fights for His creation. In a final battle God is getting rid of the old to prepare for the new. Getting rid of all the evil… all the hurt… all the pain. It’s God fighting for His creation.
I don’t know who needs to read this today… God knows I need to be reminded from time to time…
God. Is. Fighting. For. You.
He has fought FOR you in years past. He will fight FOR you in the future. And, read this… He is currently fighting FOR you right now. Many of us are walking around looking like the Valley of Armageddon today… all green and beautiful. But what can’t be seen, are the 26 layers of ruin that our life is built upon… the hurt, the pain, the harmful decisions, the choices that hurt other people…
And God sees that, and says “I’ll fight FOR you and make you new again.”
God says I see all the wars you’ve fought. The battles you’ve encountered. The layers of ruin. And He wants you to know that He’s still fighting FOR you.
The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deuteronomy 1:30, 31
I don’t know what wars you’ve fought. I don’t know that battles you’re fighting, or the layers of ruin that’s been built. But I do know that God is fighting FOR you… hear that today and trust Him.
