Will the 2020s be a decade of much trouble?

The year 2019 has been described as “a year of the street protesters.” In all, twenty-one nations witnessed protests, due to various reasons, and six heads of states were overthrown as a result. What will characterise 2020? The New Year and decade of 2020 started off with a bang, with the killing of the Iranian army General, Qasem Soleimani by America. Some pundits argued that the political eruption in the Middle East between America and Iran will be the beginning of the Third World War, but it does not appear to be so. However, the shaking in the Middle East may be indicative of how the year and decade may turn out to be— a decade that may be full of conflicts among nations, fire disasters, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, plane crashes, extreme weather conditions, rioting in nations and terrorism in some parts of the world, among others.

Amidst the global political rumblings and natural disasters so far experienced in 2020, what should interest us as God’s watchmen is: what is God saying to the world through these unfolding events? First, in the midst of the cacophony of voices, He is saying, “listen to me and my words.” Everything that is happening now has long been predicted in the Bible. God is shaking the world, so as to demystify man’s confidence and ability in himself. God is our surest security in the midst of the uncertainties and storms that rage. God did not create the world and thereafter abdicate His responsibility as some people claim. Rather, He is still in perfect control of the universe. We can hear the echoes of His voice silently and loudly through the events that happen around us.

Secondly, He is saying, “Look to me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah‬

Thirdly, He is saying to the watchmen, awake, “watch and pray.” The Bible commands that we should watch and pray at all times. This is the time to awaken the mighty men to pray. For long, God’s watchmen have been in slumber. We need to awaken from slumber and pray that a great harvest would take place out of all these global instabilities. Imagine the massive protests and riots involving millions of youths across twenty-one countries, how great it would be if God were to pour out His Holy Spirit on the youths in these nations! Like Isaiah, we need to pray, “Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down! That the mountains might shake at your presence— As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil— To make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!”

Fourthly, the global events obviously suggest that God is saying, “Get ready, I am coming soon.” The global instabilities are a constant reminder that we live in a borrowed, fleeting and temporal world. Time is fast running out. Soon, and very soon, the Creator would return to consume this filthy world with fire. Then, we shall all be required to give an account of our stewardship on this earth. We better be prepared. We are reminded that, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for him, he will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews‬

• Contact: pastoracukachi@gmail.com