Since my last letter, I’ve thought often of you. Not surprisingly, so has the rest of the world. And with good reason. Your thirst for power, and your willingness to put the planet on edge has propelled you to the front page of every newspaper in the world.
Most of us are wondering what motivates and compels you? What is inside of you that has driven you to take this treacherous global step?
Mr. Putin, what are you thinking?
Actually, much is being written about what is driving your decision making. Have you seen it? Do you read it?
My guess is that you believe your thoughts and schemes are hidden. Unknown to your enemies and even tightly guarded with your friends. Is that true?
King David, whose life is chronicled in the Old Testament, and who had far reaching power and control, understood a vivid reality as he reflected on his own thoughts and schemes. This reality exposes the vast reach of God’s cosmic intelligence that remains relevant. Put clearly, even bluntly…
He has searched you and he knows you.
He knows when you sit down and when you stand up;
God discerns even your thoughts.
Yes, God is keenly acquainted with all of your ways.
Even before you say a word,
yes, the LORD Almighty knows what you are going to say completely.
I know this, because it’s true of me as well. God searches me. He knows me. The good, and the bad. He knows that just last week, when somebody sped past me in congested traffic and then cut into my lane, that my thoughts were evil and angry. I knew at that moment that it was a good thing that I didn’t have a vast army and weapons of destruction… Yes, everything in my life, God knows. He exposes what I think I can hide. He reveals what I hope will stay cloaked.
And, Mr. Putin. That’s true for you. The secrecy of your plans. He knows. The hatred in your heart. He knows. The fear that ignites you. He knows. The lust for power and control that motivates you. He knows. The desire to be revered. He knows.
And while this knowledge was wonderful news for King David, it only becomes good news to those who confess, repent, and bend a knee. Otherwise, this revelation brings overpowering fear. Divine judgment. Righteous wrath.
Jesus, our ultimate King, put it this way… “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)
Put another way, more land in Ukraine… and a forfeited soul. More bombs and chaos… and a forfeited soul. More military might… and a forfeited soul. Jesus is letting you know ever so plainly, that your soul is at stake… and your stewardship over the souls of others weighs heavily into this mix as well.
The rest of the world might not know what’s in your heart and mind. But trust me, God does. He knows that about me, and He knows that about the soldiers you are sending to the battlefront. He knows that about the displaced and terrorized souls in Ukraine. And, Mr. Putin, as I said last week… we will answer for this. All of us. Without 200,000 troops to defend us.
Stop. I plead with you… confess, repent, and bend a knee. Now.
The world might wonder…
But God knows. Make no mistake.
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