It seems that today we have a lot to deal with. Very scary things! A pandemic and world unrest can be very unsettling. It can instill fear into our hearts and minds. Fear can blind us to God’s love and make us question if He’s even with us. We might ask the question, “Where is God?” When we have questions like this, we need to turn to Scripture to find answers.
God is always with us. Sometimes He works quietly, and sometimes He allows events to run their course because He knows the end from the beginning, and the rough times will pass and lead to a final perfect ending. The important thing is that we trust God even when we don’t understand.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
His ways may be mysterious to us, but we need to trust Him.
In today’s world, we want things fast. If dinner takes more than 10 minutes in the microwave, it seems like forever! If a friend doesn’t answer a text message immediately, we assume that friend is mad at us. It’s time to relax and know that God is still with us. He is working all things together in order that all things are accomplished according to His foreknowledge.
For instance, when it was time for the Israelites to be released from slavery in Egypt, God first had to prepare Moses. After Moses was finally ready for the overwhelming task of leading his people out of Egypt, Pharaoh had to be convinced. God is always willing to give us time to prepare for the task He needs us to do for Him. Moses had many doubts about himself, but when he finally submitted to God, great things happened.
The Israelites were happy to escape from the tyranny of Pharaoh’s rule, but they didn’t trust God as they should have. No matter how many miracles God showed them, they had a hard time believing He really cared. Their murmuring, fear, and lack of trust caused them to wander for 40 years instead of swiftly settling in the land God had promised to Abraham centuries before. It’s important for us to trust God even when we don’t understand.
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).
Only God can strengthen a weary spirit.
Sometimes we forget that the miracles we read about in the Old Testament didn’t happen swiftly. These historic events were passed orally from generation to generation but were also written down. Today, we expect rapid results. Satellites allow us to see events unfold live all across the globe. If a major earthquake happens in Turkey, people around the world know immediately and can watch it on television. If war breaks out in the Middle East, everyone knows right away. When the plagues happened in Egypt, people didn’t have network news to tell them what to think, but these events were written down, and oral accounts of eyewitnesses have preserved God’s truth.
The events described in Scripture are true and accurate accounts of God’s love for His creation. We might get “antsy” waiting for Him to step in and make things better as we watch the news of the atrocity in Afghanistan, but we can be certain that He is there.
God foretold to us what we can expect as time draws to a close. Prophecy is unfolding, and we are moving swiftly to the Rapture of Christians and then to the final seven years. As it has been from the beginning, if we trust God even if we don’t understand His mysterious ways, we will find peace even in times of great turmoil.
Although the Apostle Peter walked with Jesus and saw many wonders, he reminds us that Biblical prophecy is true. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21).
A wise person will study Biblical prophecy and see that none of what’s happening today is a surprise to God. Take Biblical prophecy seriously because only God can foretell tomorrow.
If you think things are bad now, you don’t want to be here for the Great Tribulation. Many things that are happening today can leave us befuddled, but they are setting the stage for the final seven years of life as we know it.
An evil man, sometimes called the Beast and sometimes called the Anti-Christ, will take over the world and rule and lead the world in his evil and satanic ways. God has told us this in Scripture, and it’s up to us to pay attention. Scripture says this evil person will require that all people take his mark, but anybody taking that mark is doomed to eternal damnation. That Beast system is in the process of being established today. Be sure that you make wise choices. The wisest choice you can possibly make is to take Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
Before the seven-year tribulation period, Christians will be taken to be with Jesus in the Rapture. Just as Enoch was taken prior to God’s judgment by the worldwide flood described in Genesis, Christians will be taken prior to God’s judgment of the Great Tribulation. If we don’t study Scripture, we can easily be confused.
There are many similarities between the happenings of Noah’s day and things happening today. Wickedness was unbridled. The fallen angels had corrupted the genome of humans and all of creation. Do you see any similarities today? Look up “transhumanism,” and you will be shocked to see that the human genome is being changed by “science.” Supposedly this is a good thing, but it’s not good in the eyes of God. Do an honest study of Genesis chapter 6, and you will see that the Days of Noah were marked by genetic corruption by the fallen angels. Be sure you follow God instead of fallen man.
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
We can only find God’s peace if we know God and follow His ways. By placing your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can be assured that whatever happens in this life is no surprise to God. He will walk with you through the valley of the shadow of death and welcome you into glory to live with Him forever. God’s ways may be mysterious to those who choose not to walk close to Him, but for those of us who have learned to trust, even if we don’t fully understand, we can relax and find the peace that passes all understanding.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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