One year ago, on July 12, 2006, the Second Lebanon War began when Hezbollah terrorists attacked Israel Defense Forces patrolling the Lebanon border. Eight Israeli soldiers were killed, and two were kidnapped and continue to be held to this day.
This act of aggression plunged Israel into war. By the time a United Nations brokered ceasefire was in place a month later, Hezbollah had fired nearly four thousand rockets at Israel, causing great suffering and widespread devastation in the northern part of the country. One hundred and fifty nine Israelis were killed. Over four thousand were injured, and hundreds of thousands displaced. More than one million Israelis were forced to live in bomb shelters that had been unused for years and were terribly run down. Conditions in many were nearly unbearable.
Today, there is again the possibility of war. Gaza is now a radical Islamic state, ruled by Hamas. Iran continues to provide arms to radical Palestinian and Islamist groups and persists in its aggressive and hostile rhetoric against Israel. Syria is positioning its military for a possible strike. In Lebanon, the United Nations’ “peacekeeping” force has proved utterly ineffective in preventing Hezbollah from rearming. Clearly, there is now much more than just a remote chance of war erupting it is a real possibility.
While physical preparation is essential, spiritual preparation is also important. War unleashes chaos, destruction and suffering. It is precisely at this time that we need to recommit ourselves to pray daily for Israel and her people, and to remind ourselves that we can always trust in God. The Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2). Thus we are assured that, even in times of greatest crisis, when the world seems to be falling apart around us, God is present, and hears His people’s cries for help.
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