Luke 21:25-26 - "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken."
Some of the headlines today could cause one to be fearful. Bombings, earthquakes, typhoons, re-emergence of the Taliban, healthcare, illegal drugs, wars all over the world, H1N1 outbreaks, rape victims, air collisions, taxes, terrorism, bomb threats and blasts. The list goes on. I sense a rumbling deep within the earth. It's like a churning, a bubbling that will soon rise to the surface and erupt. I sense it will not get better. Isaiah 13 is a good description of what may come. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=13) Even I have to keep myself in check about the future of this country and the world and believe that as a follower of Christ, no matter what happens, He will be my Protection, my Refuge, my Provider. Praise the Lord!
I'm thankful that there is a Source for all our questions. A Source for answers. That Source is the Word of God. All throughout the Bible's history we have seen destruction, killing, good and evil kings, plagues. These were written to be examples for us for today. Many times these are allowed by God to steer us closer to Him (as was the intent back then), to realize that our trust is only to be in Him. Everything that we see happening on earth is borne out of man's selfish desires for power and control. In most cases, if not all, it comes about because God is not the center of things. I believe there is a day coming when people will wake up and begin to wonder where this all came from, when did it begin...and more importantly, what can we do? It may be beginning even today.
I've asked that question before...what can I do? How can I change this situation? Not about the world, but just about my own life. And the answer I received was, "There is nothing you can do, but there is One who can help and that person is Jesus Christ." He is the Source, as the Son of God. If God is the Source of all knowledge, all powerful, ever present, why shouldn't we look to Him for our guidance? The Source is the Word of God, God Himself, and Jesus Christ. All are the Source. They all provide the wisdom necessary for guidance in this world.
We should not trust in man for our future, but our future can be secure in Christ. If we put our faith and trust in God we have nothing to fear. A prophetic word from God through Jeremiah tells us: "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me." (Jeremiah 32:40). Jeremiah was a pessimistic Old Testament prophet who prophesied about the the times he was living in and his words are for today and our future. He knew and trusted in God. The promise God made above stands for us too. The covenant is? It is our commitment to God. It is our having a relationship with Him, with Jesus. It's trusting in Him with every fiber of our being and not allowing the things of the world to strike fear into our hearts. It's not about denomination or which church we go to. It's an individual thing. It's a commitment between me and God, and between you and God.
Despite all that happens in this world, if we have that trust and confidence that our God saves, He will deliver us. God does not break His (everlasting) covenant with us once we have entered into it with in Him. It is we who might break the covenant with Him by losing faith and walking away from Him. Yes, He puts fear in our hearts for Him but it is a Godly fear. It's a wondrous fear that comes from a heart filled with love for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I asked myself Friday, "Lord, how do I know how much I love you? It doesn't always feel like I do and yet I know it's not always about feelings." I believe I received my answer this morning as I wrote this. That is why I cannot go back to a life without Christ, which I lived for so many years.
We are not to trust in whatever future man wants to bring about, but the future that God holds for us. His is eternal, man's is not. We are not to value the things of the world more than the things of God. All that we have will vanish, but God will be forever. Let Him hold your future in His mighty hands. As the words to a song I heard this morning by Chris Tomlin state: And I hear the cry of every longing heart, "Worthy is the Lamb." Let that be the cry of your heart. Let your heart long for an eternal future. Jesus is worthy of our love, trust and worship because He opted to become our Redeemer. It is God who saves, not man.
Even in death, if we know the Lord and follow Him, we will be secure. Even if we go through troubles here on earth, we have the security of a future with God. There is nothing more comforting as knowing that. When the world begins to fall apart at the seams, I pray:
Luke 21:27-28 - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
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