Those are terrifying words!...
Illustration
Those are terrifying words! What about the safety we should find in Christ? Why are we anxious and troubled about many things? When we pass though dangerous circumstances, like paddling down a river in a canoe when there are alligators around us, or if we drive through a dangerous neighborhood and look around to see suspicious characters lurking in doorways, we can become anxious. How do we feel when we read about theatre-goers being shot or innocent people gunned down on the streets? But if we look ahead at our destination, it can relieve us with some hope of where we are going -- of our goal in this life or the next.
We can't help but feel anxiety when we watch the evening news. It all seems so depressing. If a forest fire is burning out of control near our home, we can panic. If a river is rising and may flood us out, we panic. Those are everyday experiences that can make us take our mind off the one who has come to save us. We need more encouragement than seeing the stores dressed for Christmas.
There are many books written about the end times. Some are written to frighten us. The authors may hope to put us in such a state that we turn to the Lord in panic and anxiety. We should be turning to our Lord in hope and trust, but maybe it takes traumatic experiences to make us turn back to the only one who can give us peace.
When we arrive at an age like our 80s and 90s (maybe even 60s and 70s), we may be anxious because we don't like what we see in the mirror and think we know what lies ahead. Like that fig tree, we see and feel the signs in our bodies that hint we have a limited time. Yes, good Christians can have those times -- even pastors! We can't see ahead and know what is in store for us -- even if we have hope that our redemption is drawing close.
When my son was a teenager he was getting reckless, so I took him to the hospital one day to visit a buddy of his who had been drinking and rolled his car over. The boy might never be the same. I didn't have to say a word. From then on my son became more aware of where he was heading in his life. He became concerned about HIS destiny! He has never forgotten that experience, and it helped him become a different person.
What does it take to make us more concerned about being ready to face our maker, to stand before him in faith and not just look at the presents under the tree to take our mind off the future? Do we take our prayers seriously? Do we count on the only one who can save us to overcome all the anxieties and temptations of life?
We can't help but feel anxiety when we watch the evening news. It all seems so depressing. If a forest fire is burning out of control near our home, we can panic. If a river is rising and may flood us out, we panic. Those are everyday experiences that can make us take our mind off the one who has come to save us. We need more encouragement than seeing the stores dressed for Christmas.
There are many books written about the end times. Some are written to frighten us. The authors may hope to put us in such a state that we turn to the Lord in panic and anxiety. We should be turning to our Lord in hope and trust, but maybe it takes traumatic experiences to make us turn back to the only one who can give us peace.
When we arrive at an age like our 80s and 90s (maybe even 60s and 70s), we may be anxious because we don't like what we see in the mirror and think we know what lies ahead. Like that fig tree, we see and feel the signs in our bodies that hint we have a limited time. Yes, good Christians can have those times -- even pastors! We can't see ahead and know what is in store for us -- even if we have hope that our redemption is drawing close.
When my son was a teenager he was getting reckless, so I took him to the hospital one day to visit a buddy of his who had been drinking and rolled his car over. The boy might never be the same. I didn't have to say a word. From then on my son became more aware of where he was heading in his life. He became concerned about HIS destiny! He has never forgotten that experience, and it helped him become a different person.
What does it take to make us more concerned about being ready to face our maker, to stand before him in faith and not just look at the presents under the tree to take our mind off the future? Do we take our prayers seriously? Do we count on the only one who can save us to overcome all the anxieties and temptations of life?
