As the earth is seized and stricken by innumerable events, we must resist the temptation to fear. We know from Scripture that these days would come (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). And, they are here.
Along with the birth “pangs” come His End-Time plans: “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and evil go forth?” (Lamentations 3:37).
While we might feel uncertain, God is clear: “Do not learn the way of the nations [unbelievers], and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens although the nations are terrified by them” (Jeremiah 10:2).
As God brings His Hand to earth, we want to remain courageous and faithful, steady and sure. Now is the time to find great encouragement in the Scriptures. We can read in Isaiah 33:13 exactly how God wants us to view His End Times- activity across our planet. ”You who are far away [unbelievers], hear what I have done; and you who are near [My people], acknowledge My might.” God is showing His strength to His own.
While we trust that we are saved from the “wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10), when we scour His Word, we find a theme:
God plans to destroy the pride of man. “Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless” (Isaiah 13:11). Might it be that He is showcasing a foretaste of His ultimate wrath on a God-rejecting world during the Tribulation, now?
“So the land quakes and writhes, for the purposes of the Lord against Babylon [a picture of the world] stand, to make the land a desolation…. The mighty men have ceased fighting, they stay in strongholds; Their strength is exhausted. They are becoming like women…” (Jeremiah 51:29-30).
What are His plans during these “pangs”? At the same time He is destroying pride, He is preparing His Bride. “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6). And, “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes…” (Psalm 101:3). I cannot help but see television sets or devices whenever I read this portion of Scriptures! (See also I John 5:12 and 21 and Jude 1:24-25.)
We know our role at this moment. While our unbelieving neighbors and family members fulfill Scripture’s prophecy (Joel 2:6) by their trembling, their hands going limp and their faces growing pale, we are called to be faithful. Imagine that we are on a roller coaster with the world, but the difference is that we understand our Father made this “wild ride,” so we just tuck down deeper into the safety of His lap because we know we are being held in His encircling arms of providence and protection.
Let’s look to His Word to determine how we respond to these “drops and turns” (pangs). He tells us how to withstand these days:
“Seek righteousness and seek humility. Perhaps, you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:3b).
“He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears form hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure” (Isaiah 33: 15-16).
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