It would be easy to get caught up in near hysteria and despair about the state of the world these days. Governments are toppling from internal revolt, national economies range from near bankruptcy to unheard of riches, and confusion abounds. It seems the world is in a downward spiral with no bottom in sight.
If all you did was listen to the news reports, there would be no reason for hope. But nothing that is happening should catch a Bible student by surprise. The living God of Heaven lays everything out in the Holy Scriptures. The only thing God leaves out is the exact timing.
In the Gospel of Matthew 24:6-8, we read, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”
The discourse continues in Paul’s second epistle to Timothy 3: 1-5,, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power . . . .”
God knows what is going on, but what can He do?
God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He created it and He sustains it (Colossians 1:17).
The world and God’s people have seen bad times before. God has stepped in “just in time” many times to deliver His people and achieve His purposes.
In looking back to Matthew 24:8, we see this statement: “All these are the beginning of birth pains.” In Romans 8:22 we read, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
Birth pains leads you to believe that something new is about to happen. That is exactly right! God will deliver this present world into oblivion, and a whole new world will emerge where God will reign supreme.
If God can part the Red Sea and His people can walk across on dry land (Exodus 14:21-22), and if God can stop the Jordan River and literally cause the water to pile up in a heap (Joshua 3:13-16), He can certainly orchestrate whatever He wants.
We must conclude that God is in control. He knows the beginning and the end, and not even one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from His will (Matthew 10:29).
What is the Christ follower to do and expect? Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 32-39, reveals that God delivers some from death and others through death. The point is that God does take care of those who are His.
Jesus Christ the Son of God went to the cross, was crucified, buried in the ground, and was resurrected in mighty power by Almighty God to purchase salvation for all who believe in Him. The only way out of this world to the better world that God is preparing is through Jesus Christ.
As the world and all we know crumbles, look up! God is working in His mighty power to achieve His purposes. Have faith in God (Hebrews 11:6).