“When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first…” — Luke 21:9
A selfie taken on the tarmac. A young family smiling, eyes full of dreams. That was the last image Pratik Joshi sent to loved ones before their flight to London. Beside them, their three children smiling, unaware their lives would end just minutes later.
Across the world, three Israeli civilians—Etti Cohen Engel, Yisrael Aloni, and Yevgenia Blinder—took shelter as missiles screamed through the night sky. They weren’t soldiers. They weren’t militants. They were grandparents and caregivers, their only crime: living in a land the Iranian regime vows to wipe off the map.
Two nations.
A plane crashes.
A city is bombed.
Two families. Three innocent Israelis.
One shared fate.
Whether through terror or tragedy, life can be taken in an instant.
And the only security that matters is not found in an airplane’s safety policy or the Iron Dome’s protection—it’s in the saving grace of Jesus.
Heaven Sees What the Headlines Miss
The world won’t connect these events. But heaven sees them both.
A plane crashes minutes after takeoff—two families among those 271 souls lost, their final moments filled with hope and anticipation.
Thousands of miles away, over 200 missiles are launched toward Israel—sirens wail, families huddle in shelters, and innocent lives are taken in the chaos.
We live in a world where time is not promised.
Where our next breath is not guaranteed.
Where wars and rumors of war are not just prophecy—they are headlines.
Jesus warned us of days like these.
And we are living them.
Israel Chooses Life
There’s a doomsday clock in the heart of Tehran. Installed by the Iranian regime in 2017, it predicts Israel’s annihilation by 2040. For decades, Iran has trained terrorist proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis—and funneled billions into building nuclear weapons.
On October 7, we saw what evil is capable of. Israel was ambushed, slaughtered, and violated. But what was meant to destroy them only sharpened their resolve.
This past Friday, in a historic military campaign known as Operation Rising Lion, Israel launched a precision strike deep into Iranian nuclear territory. Facilities were leveled. High-ranking military officials were eliminated. Iran responded with indiscriminate bombing of Israeli cities.
And a message was sent:
“If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at Israel’s home front — Tehran will burn.”
— Israel Defense Minister, Israel Katz
This isn’t revenge.
This is Israel choosing life for the Jewish people, for Israel, for the World.
Y’Chaim, Israel — To Life!
In the Book of Deuteronomy, God says:
“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” (Deut. 30:19)
Y’Chaim means “To Life.”
It’s the toast at every Jewish wedding.
It’s spoken at every Sabbath table.
It’s the cry of a people who have walked through fire—and still rise.
Israel didn’t wait for nuclear missiles to fall. It acted morally, decisively, and with the full understanding that the time for restraint had passed. When an enemy openly plots your extermination—and nears the ability to do it—waiting is not wisdom. It is surrender.
As Christian Women For Israel, we are unapologetic in our support of Israel.
We applaud a nation that fights not for dominance—but for survival.
Not with hatred—but with holy clarity.
Not to destroy—but to live.
The Fragility of Time
And even as Israel defends life, the fragility of our days becomes painfully clear.
That young family—the Joshi's—boarded with hope, excited to begin a new life in London. Another family of four, the Ali's had just returned from visiting their mother in the hospital. Their lives ended before hers.
That’s the truth about this world: you don’t know the hour.
It may come in the middle of your celebration.
Or in the quiet of the night.
Or when the sirens go off, and you don’t make it to shelter in time.
But the most important question isn’t when your life ends—it’s Who you belong to when it does.
Jesus said:
“You must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40)
Are you ready?
A Call to the Esthers
We, as Modern-Day Esthers, are not called to shrink back in fear.
We are called to rise. To pray. To proclaim truth. And to walk boldly into a world unraveling at the seams with one cry on our lips:
Jesus is Lord. Israel will live. And the time is now.
This is not the end.
But it is a wake-up call.
To live fully.
To love deeply.
And to stand unshakably—with Israel, with the Word of God, and with the truth that sets us free.
Today’s Prayer:
Lord, we lift up the people of Israel, the grieving families in both lands, and all innocent lives lost to evil and tragedy. Give us courage to speak truth, wisdom to see the times, and strength to walk as light in the darkness. Let us live each day as if it were our last—not in fear, but in faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
