In this episode of What Does God Say to You, Kathy tackles a sensitive and complex topic — the war involving Israel and Gaza — without taking a political stance. Instead, she focuses on where believers can stand when the world feels divided: firmly grounded in God’s Word and His definition of love. Through biblical examples from David, Rahab, and Jesus’ time, Kathy explores the tension between honoring God’s people and refusing to aid in what we don’t understand. She reminds us that while we don’t know everything, we do know this: we are called to pray, to give when we can, and to walk in love toward all people.
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0:01 Hey, this is Kathy Roberts, and this is the what does God say to you podcast? This episode may seem controversial, and I want to say right up front, I'm not doing this to take a side.
0:13 This isn't a soapbox, and the purpose of this podcast isn't to influence anyone politically or sway opinions about world events.
0:22 it is a world event. And because it is one that Christians find themselves smack dab in the middle of, I thought it couldn't be ignored.
0:31 not about taking a position. It's about grounding ourselves in God's Word when everything among us feels uncertain. My hope is that maybe this helps someone sort through what they're feeling and find clarity on where they can stand as a believer during this time of unrest involving Israel, war, and our
0:53 role as Christians. Right now, at the time of this recording, there is an ongoing war involving Gaza and Israel. And it's hard not to feel pulled in different directions emotionally and spiritually.
1:07 There are people, Christians and Jews alike, who are saying this doesn't represent me. They're raising their voices about what they're seeing.
1:16 Children without food, civilians being bombed and calling it war crimes. There are others, also Christians and Jews, who are saying it's not the Israeli government with holding food, but a mass and terrorist organizations that both sides have bombed civilians that it's war, and this is what happens in
1:35 war. There are things happening here in the U.S., decisions being made that seem to go against our constitution, and it's hard not to get caught up in all of it.
1:48 Now, I'm not going to speak from a place of authority about who's right or wrong. I don't feel qualified. I haven't studied ever scripture about Israel, and I'm not here to interpret what it means when God says, I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
2:05 Instead, I stand on what I do know, searching the scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. That's what God calls us to do and that is in Acts 17 11.
2:20 Now, it says in 1 Corinthians 13 12 that we see through a glass darkly. We don't know it all. We don't know everything and we're not supposed to pretend to.
2:34 There are things going on behind the scenes that we can't see. That's why we need to stay humble and grounded in God's Word.
2:43 But while there's much we don't know, there are things we do know clearly from Scripture. First John 3, 17 says, whosoever has this world's good, and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?
3:03 We cannot see innocent people suffering and just look away. We cannot see children being starved and say it's not our business.
3:12 We are called to walk in love. So I'm not standing on either political side. I'm standing on the side of love because God is love and love is not blind to suffering.
3:26 Now, some say we must always stand with Israel, but if we look honestly at Scripture, we see that Israel's leaders were not always godly.
3:36 Think of Jezebel and Ahab. Jezebel killed the prophets of God. Would we have been expected to bless her just because she was part of Israel's leadership?
3:47 And when Jesus walked the earth, it was Israel's religious leaders, the ones in authority, who plotted to kill him and his followers.
3:56 Would we have stood with them just because they were in charge? Then there's Rahab, who protected God's people, even though she was from a city marked for destruction by Israel.
4:11 She went against her nation and God honored her for it. And then there's David. He had every reason, humanly speaking, to go against Saul.
4:24 Saul was jealous, violent, tormented by an evil spirit. He was trying to kill David, but David refused to lay his hand on him.
4:34 1 Samuel 26 11 says, The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. Why? Because Saul was still God's anointed.
4:47 That tells me there is something very serious and sacred about not cursing God's people, even when they're in the wrong.
4:56 David didn't help saw, but he also didn't curse him. He let God deal with it. And that's the fine line we have to walk.
5:05 We're not to go against God's word, just because we think we're doing right. That's why I say, I will not speak against any of God's people, but I also won't aid in something I don't understand.
5:19 Like David, I will walk in love. I will pray, and I will do what clearly is in God's word. I will pray for all of those who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.
5:37 That's a verse, verse, Timothy 22, Matthew 5.44 says, love your enemies, bless them the curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
5:54 So I today say I pray for Israel, I pray for Gaza, I pray for the United States, I give if I have the means to give, I walk in love and I stay out of the place of assumption, because Scripture says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it as Jeremiah 179?
6:23 In Isaiah 49, 15 it says, can a woman forget her nursing child and not have compassion? She may forget, yet I will not forget you.
6:37 Even a mother can turn on her child. That's how flawed mankind can be, but God never will turn on us.
6:45 So we trust him, not people. We stay in his word. We stand in love. We don't assume we know it all.
6:52 And we don't take sides when we don't know what's behind it all. We just stand in love. this is what I know about love love, because God told us what love is and how to walk in it.
7:05 This is from 1 Corinthians 13 verses 4 to 7 in the Amplified. Love endures with patience and serenity. Love is kind and thoughtful and is not jealous or envious.
7:19 Love does not bread and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not provoked.
7:28 Nor overly sensitive and easily angered. It does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth.
7:42 When right and truth prevail, love bears all things, regardless of what comes, believes all things, looking for the best in each one, hopes all things, remaining steadfast during difficult times, endures all things without weakening.
8:03 So while this definitely didn't have a heck of a lot of answers, it did have a place where we can stand.
8:12 We can stand in a place knowing that we don't know everything. We can stand in a place of prayer for everyone and and we can stand to choose love.
8:27 So that's that for this episode. My name is the Roberts and this is the What Does God Say To You Podcast.