For the past few months, I’ve been overwhelmed over incidents in the news that have been happening in our communities and surrounding areas.

From one standpoint, I feel the need to react and from another standpoint, I feel the need to sit still. I guess you can say that I’ve been a bit agitated and uneasy. When I get into this mood, I have to take the latter of the two and that is to sit still. I have to sit still and listen. Listen to the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit.

Being a writer, people come to me and say, you need to write something about this or about that; but I must always go off of my gut instincts and let God lead me into the right directions. When I look at the things that have been happening, I must say that there is nothing new under the sun as told in the scriptures of the Bible. One thing that I know for sure is despite all the laws and justifications of laws; bondage is still a big issue in this world. And until we let go and live, we (as a people) will always be where we shouldn’t be and that is in trouble or in a troubled state of mind. When I think of bondage, one story in the Bible always comes to mind and that is the story of Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the Israelites. When I think about bondage, I can’t help but relate it to the hardening of one’s heart.

I think about how Pharaoh out of selfishness and wanting to be greater than God, caused not only God’s people (Israelites) to suffer, but his people (Egyptians) too. I can imagine how the Egypt was upset when their water turned into blood or they awoke to see an invasion of flies and frogs in their homes.

Only because one man had the power to say yes or no but instead he said no. God tells us that the just shall suffer with the unjust. In general, when I think of bondage, I think about a pattern of ignorance that leads to hatred and control; and from there, a mistreatment of someone’s dignity. God’s children are still being plagued by demonic spirits and are being bound by the hands of evildoers. Evildoers who will take your life and crumble it into their hand. Why? Because they think they are just that big. You know, Pharaoh thought he was big too. Pharaoh thought he was so big until he forgot the power of God. You know the story. In the end, God prevailed. Again, there is still nothing new under the sun. You must not forget that God still hears your cries and is telling the enemy “let my people go.”

God is still saying to the evildoers, your days are numbered and you will be cut down. God says you have caused my people to suffer for too long. And finally, God said he will not let the unjust of the world go unpunished. He said this in his word and I believe. So, when you hear of the troubles in the news, harden not your heart and pray. God is still answering prayers one by one. Just keep your eyes open and you will see the works of the Lord being done to reveal the things that are not in line with his word. Believe that he will do what he said. Be patient and not wonder how long. Because as Martin Luther King Jr. said in one of his speeches, how long, not long.

Beverly Gibson is a Ferriday resident