Pray that it may not happen ...

“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.

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These warnings remind me of the movies I have seen of London during the Nazi air strikes in World War II when the sirens were blowing and everyone was running for cover in the shelters. Like one of those sirens Jesus warns his disciples, and us, that we are not immune from the terrible things that happen in the world. When Tsunamis hit Japan God's people were affected. And Christians were not exempt from harm when the earth shook in Haiti.

Interesting how Jesus speaks of prayer. It is as if he is saying that God factors in the cries of our heart before he allows tribulation to come into our lives. This is a comforting thought to me and encourages me to fall to my knees. Trials and tribulations are a part of life. Bad things happen to God's children. Yet in the midst of calamity God hears our prayers. He weighs in the cries of our hearts before and after a crisis hits. He is with us always.

I am in awe of you Lord. You, who shake the earth, hear me when I pray.