Today’s devotional is another reminder. We seem to need a lot of reminding during these odd times on the earth. When everything seems to be turned upside down and there are wars and rumors of wars…when we see persecution of Christians on the uprise in the West…when even many pastors seem to be falling into the demonic traps and are not preaching God’s word, but instead are preaching man’s word…we need to be reminded of what is true.
One thing I know to be true is this…years ago, when I was feeling stressed with the weight of knowing that end times will come and a lot of it is unpleasant…and we don’t know when it will all come to a climax, I asked God how long do I plan for the future? His immediate response was, “Until”.
It was then that I realized that one reason things have grown so bad already is because believers are far too eager to pack it all up and retreat. We’ve largely lost our “fight” …so to speak. What is our “fight”? To raise families and establish homes. To teach our children and grandchildren to walk with the Lord. To stop chasing that ever elusive dollar and focus on what’s real…family and God…that’s what is real.
I remember in the 80’s when the believers thought the world would end, and many gave up their retirement and just basically started acting without regard to the future and short-sighted. We don’t have the luxury of going nuts. We must remain focused and intentional, until.
Here’s what I believe…hard times will come to the earth at some point. As believers we can make them longer if we are constantly living in fear of those troubled days and not doing what God said, staying focused on Him and family. We can, instead of aggravating the trouble, lean into what is good and work to spread the gospel through the way we live and raise our families. We can allow our lives to become a refuge to others. That’s what I want to do.
I always keep an eye on what’s going on in the world, but I won’t allow it to make me fearful and reactive. Because I know God will always have the final word and nothing happens without Him knowing…so I ask Him about everything and live according to what He says. You see?
We’ve spoken of the following verse many times, but it simply keeps being relevant…
Make it you foal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
This is still the way. Let’s face it, most of us are not made to be “influencers” on social media…but we can each and every one be influencers within our families, and that’s what matters most.
Fear God. Love your neighbor. Walk daily with Jesus.
365 Days in the Presence 