By Elizabeth Prata
I was speaking with a much older lady the other day. She was saying that she is stocking up on water and non-perishable foods etc. because of the thing that is about to happen. I asked what is about to happen? She said something is coming. Could be the grid. Could be storms. Could be unrest. Could be war. No matter how many times I tried to pin her down on what “the thing” was or who was saying it, she just kept repeating the vague warnings. At the last she said it is from Facebook, and that is what “everyone” is talking about.
Another lady I spoke to said the same “That’s what everyone is talking about, everywhere.”
What? What IS the thing?
I did some digging. Apparently England started a “Be ready” campaign. England’s neighbors have for a long time been promoting a readiness attitude for their citizens in the face of temporary electrical or other disruptions. This is from their webpage:
It states that due to heavy reliance these days on technology and the increasing threat of technological disruptions, and due to weather disruptions, and given what we discovered about supply chain disruptions during the covid era, it makes sense to have a supply for yourself for three days. The campaign aligns with the European neighbors’ campaigns to try and dampen panic buying. Preparedness will help solve that.
That’s it.
Another thing we have seen during the covid era was how skittish and panic-prone the mass population is. This video discusses it-
The “Be Ready” campaign has morphed into a vague looming threat to a permanent way of life. Why?
Social Media.
Ladies, social media relies on clicks and likes to get their money. To justify advertising. To preserve its existence. A simple message to have food and water ready in advance of winter weather will not get as many clicks and re-posts as will a vague message of impending doom. That will get people talking as they try to fill in the gaps in information with their own conspiracies. And then circulate them ad nauseam to rile up everyone else.
Now from a biblical perspective, I just finished 52 chapters of Jeremiah, and I started Lamentations yesterday. God crushed Judah for persistent idolatry and rebellion. Absolutely destroyed it. The people were carried off to servitude in a pagan city. Others, simply slaughtered. If He did that to his beloved Judah, what do you think He would do to America? A country that revels in paganism, in-the-womb baby murder, perversity in homosexual lifestyle, tolerating false prophets in Jesus’ church? We do all the same things Judah did and worse.
If He chose to send an electro-magnetic pulse over Kansas which sends our country back to the 1700s, He is perfectly justified in doing that. If He allows the Democrats to win this mid-term election, where we would have squandered the chance He gave us 2 years ago to make better decisions, He’d be justified. The New Madrid fault waking up along with the Yellowstone supervolcano and literally splitting the country in half? Again, He’d be justified.
Something big is always about to happen. Hurricane Katrina, The Superstorm of 1993, Ice storm of 98, 9/11/01… those were big. Frankly if something really big was about to happen, 3 days’ food and water would not be enough. If you ever read William Forschen’s book One Second After about an EMP wiping out electricity and electronics in the US, you know that in the afternote interviews with sociologists, scientists, and psychologists, they said the author’s survival rate of 20% of the population was inflated. More like only 5% of the population would survive an event like that.
Something big is always about to happen, because we are a rebellious people due for judgment. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 24 be prepared for wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters and events in the sky as the lead-up to the Tribulation.
How to combat a discouragement and pervasive creeping fear:
1.Read the Bible. It contains all encouragement for a magnificent ending. Jesus is on His throne. He will not allow the guilty to go unpunished, and eventually all His enemies will be under His footstool.
2.Stay off social media if you are swayed by these vague warnings. Much of what is on Facebook especially is simply false. Same with TikTok. Twitter/X is rough on people with a lot of vitriol. Memes gain traction as truth, statements of concern turn into impending doom, things are regularly misunderstood. If you are not wise or discerning or careful, you’ll be susceptible to allowing these gloomy feelings into your heart and mind.
3.Read about Paul’s joy in whatever circumstance in which he found himself. Read missionary biographies. Adoniram Judson spent 6 hard labor years in Burma without a single convert, till finally one broke through and was baptized.
4. Be observant. Slow down and notice God’s design in nature and pray in thanks for it. Notice his mercies in your or another person’s life and pray in thanks for it. Slow down, breathe, list the spiritual blessings you have been given.
Social media is a tool, one that can be used perversely or one that can be used well. If you feel gloom advancing, or you are looking at your negative circumstances, do what you have to do to revive yourself and recalibrate to get your joy back.
