A Word of Encouragement

“…and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” —Obadiah verse 21

When Nazi’s overran France in WW2, the French Resistance fought against the Nazi’s in guerrilla warfare. Suppose you were a member of the French Resistance fighting along side of other Frenchmen you believed were your friends. Then came a day when a member of the French Resistance betrayed your group to the Nazi’s.  Many of your friends were killed and you are captured and imprisoned.  At that point what would you need to hear that would encourage you?  You would need to hear, “D-Day is coming! The Allies are coming to free you.”

During the prophecy of Obadiah, things looked very dark for Israel as they were betrayed by Edom and captured by the Babylonians. But Obadiah gave some encouraging words, “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”  This promise would be a great encouragement to Israel in it’s affliction.

Today we are living in dark days also (2 Tim. 3:1).  Wickedness is on every hand (1 John 5:19).  Where can we find a word of comfort in these perilous times?  Just as Obadiah comforted Israel in their distress by assuring them, “the kingdom shall be the Lord’s,” we also find comfort in God’s promise that, “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout… and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which remain shall be caught up together with then in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore COMFORT one another WITH THESE WORDS” (1 Thess. 16-18).

Be encouraged Christian, the day is coming when “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

Amen! “The kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”