"It's not over yet, we are not safe."

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"It's not over yet, we are not safe."

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I had friends planning to board planes to London last Thursday when news broke that 24 Muslims had been arrested in Great Britain after months of surveillance by MI5. The revelation that the plotters intended to blow up transatlantic aircraft using liquid explosives sent more shock waves through a public that was hoping it might be safe to come out of the shell of fear imposed after the 9/11 attacks.

I am planning a trip to Europe next month and will have to rearrange some of my plans to conform to the tighter security measures now in force. I'll also say an extra prayer for safety. We are in a dangerous time, and it looks like it will get worse before it gets better.

I recently reread the first chapter of The Guns of August by the late Barbara Tuchman. Her account of the first month of World War I in 1914 shows how events in Europe rapidly spun out of control following the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand. Diplomacy failed to prevent a conflagration that had been building for more than a decade as the great powers of Europe armed themselves to the teeth. Many commentators are drawing analogies between that period and today with the war on terror and the crisis in the Middle East.

Others are looking at the year 1938 and the period just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Appeasement of Hitler in his desire to expand German control over Europe was a critical factor then. Many feel we see the same trends among world leaders today who want to use diplomacy to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions and the aggressive actions of the militant Hezbollah and Hamas factions. It is hard for many to learn the lessons of history and therefore they are doomed to repeat it, as a famous saying goes.

Psalm 91

Listening to the reports of this latest crisis heightens the existing climate of fear. Fear is a normal human reaction in such times. This is when we need to listen to the words of the psalmist and seek the "secret place" of God. This place of refuge is our hope in a time of uncertainty.

Look at what Psalm 91 says: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.'

"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you" (verses 1-7).

Read this entire Psalm for encouragement and hope during this time. God is in control of world events. Nothing will occur without His knowledge, and nothing will go beyond the bounds He has set within His overall plan.

Last week I did a Beyond Today television program titled, "The Horsemen of Revelation." We emphasized not just the terrible ride of the four horsemen of Revelation chapter 6, but also pointed out that Christ is in control of the unfolding seals of the book. Christ directs the events of the end of the age. As He is able to direct those global events, so is He able to protect those who abide "under the shadow" and in the "secret place" of the Most High.

As we move through these present and future world events, keep these promises in mind and never lose sight of God's unseen hand in world affairs.

Until next time, keep watching.