We live in interesting and troubling times. If you watch the news at all, you've probably had a few nightmares. The disciples lived in interesting and troubling times too. Yet before Jesus was crucified, He told his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:1-4 NIV)
I love those words. No matter how bad things get - if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, then we know where we are going. He's preparing a place for us and He's coming back to get us and take us home with Him. (One of my favorite message t-shirts was a picture of a note pinned to the cross - the note said, "Gone to see Dad. We're fixing a place for you. Be back soon to pick you up.")
With the world in the shape that it is now and the things that seem to be coming, it would be really easy to throw up our hands and say, "I can't take it any more." However, that isn't what Jesus wants us to do. "Let not your heart be troubled" were His instructions.
So how do you do that?? Well, I read a lot of Christian fiction (and no, that isn't how you deal with it). I'm sure many of you have read the Left Behind series. I read them and really enjoyed them. For those who haven't read them - they are based on Revelation with the point of view that everything in Revelation is yet to happen (or is starting to happen now). I've also read The Last Disciple, which is also based on Revelation but with the point of view that some of what is in Revelation happened in the first century. There is a section in this book where the Apostle John is sitting in a garden waiting for the main character to show up. John is sitting there looking up to the sky with a look on his face that says that he expects Jesus to return at any moment just like he saw Him leave. When I read that, I started thinking that we need to look up more often. Do you truly believe that Jesus is coming back? Are you living your life like you expect Him to return any moment now? Do you occasionally look up to the sky to see if you can see His arrival? Are you letting the love and hope that comes only from Jesus flow through you?
Don't ignore the bad things - but don't forget to concentrate on the good. He is preparing a place for us!
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:8&9.
Don't forget to look up!
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