On March 16, 2014, gunmen on motorcycles raided at least four Nigerian villages. They opened fire on residents and burned homes to the ground. The New York Times reported: "The state’s police chief, Hurdi Mohammed, who gave a toll of 30 dead, said the violence was carried out by ethnic Fulani herdsmen, who have been blamed for scores of deadly raids in the region" ("Scores Reported Kills in Village Raids in Nigerian Land Conflict," March 14, 2014). The Times reported that this was not religious strife, but contention over resources and land.

It’s often easy to dismiss a story like this that happens on the other side of the world in a small village. What insight can we gain from Scripture? There will come a time in the future, right before the return of Jesus, that resources will be scarce. In fact, one of the four horsemen represented in the book of Revelation brings about this scarcity. "When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come and see.' So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine'" (Revelation 6:5-6).

This imagery shows how the price of scarce resources will be carefully measured to anyone who wishes to buy. Many Western countries have long feasted on the abundance given by God though the promises of Abraham. (For more understanding of this topic read the free Bible study aid The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy.) Before the Western world starts to see more of those blessings lifted by our God, look into your Bible and seek Him. Seek a relationship with Him so that you will have understanding and faith as the prophetic events written in the pages of your Bible unfold. (Source: The New York Times.)