The Last Days Of The World XXXIV

 The hope of His returning must be such a fundamental reality in the hearts of believers that it transcends hope itself, becoming a certainty. We can hope we don’t run out of gas until the next station, even though the light has been on for forty miles. We can hope that it won’t rain even though dark clouds are on the horizon, but we know that the Christ will return, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

Our faith in His return is substantive. We know that we know that we know He will return for He has promised it, and we serve a Lord who keeps His promises to His own. The absolute knowledge of this event, rather than the signs preceding it, must be our focus, foundation, and anchor in the storms to come. If our gaze is not firmly established upon Him, if we allow events, circumstances, or other voices to distract us from Him, our reaction to the things that are about to unfold will be akin to those of the world.

Because we are His and have been born again, redeemed, and sanctified, we cannot possess the same mind, outlook, or fear that those of the world possess. We have the mind of Christ. Therefore, we are fearless, bold, surefooted, and at peace.

I can sit here behind the safety of my keyboard and pretend to be braver than I am and say that I’ve not given the events of the last days of the world a second thought, but I’ve always been one who’s insisted on being honest with myself first and foremost. I am not superhuman, and neither were any of those who came before us who seemed to be from the outside looking in.

Yes, I’ve thought about the future, not so much for myself but for my daughters and my wife. Although there is an undeniable inclination to dwell on these things, to go down rabbit holes and attempt to do all that I can physically or materially to mitigate the effects, I’ve come to realize that for me and my house, trusting God is not only the best course of action but the only course of action.

Trust is a choice, as is who or what we place our trust in. If we trust someone or something and that trust is betrayed, then continuing to trust them is foolhardy and unwise. As the once infamously botched quip by a former president goes, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me.

Ever since she could scrape together a sentence, my youngest has been fond of climbing the highest possible thing in the house, whether a couch, a counter, or a table, calling for me, and when I come to see what she wants, with a beaming smile and arms outstretched, she says, “catch me, daddy,” then proceeds to jump. I’ve caught her every time, and each time, she wraps her arms around my neck, kisses my cheek, and says, “Thank you, Dad, I knew you’d catch me.”

I’ve tried telling her it’s dangerous, but she would hear none of it. “Why is it dangerous? You’ll always catch me, so that’s just silly talk.”

My daughter’s trust is implacable. There is no shadow of doubt in her heart that I will not catch her when she jumps, and so she does not fear the hard ground or the tile floor below.

Had she tried to jump into my arms, and I refused to catch her once, twice, or three times, then her trust would rightly have been shaken, and she likely wouldn’t jump with such abandon anymore. My heart won’t allow me to let her fall to the floor just to teach her a lesson. I will always catch her, even though she’s no longer as small or light as she was in years past.

I view my trust in God in much the same manner. He has never failed me when I’ve put my trust in Him. He’s always been there and has always made a way, even when a way seemed impossible. Why would I not continue to trust Him when He’s never given me a reason not to? Why would I not continue to trust Him when He has never betrayed my trust or failed to catch me?

Fear, uncertainty, and doubt are impediments to our ability to fully trust God. When we spend our days fearful about tomorrow, we focus on things we can’t control rather than take that time to build up our most holy faith and learn to walk in full assurance that God will make a way no matter how grim tomorrow may seem. He is a good Father. He will not let you fall. He will never be disloyal or betray your trust.

Uncertainty breeds hesitancy and erodes our trust in God. Those who walk in the way and do not attempt to blaze their own trail or find shortcuts to a relationship with God will always be more surefooted than someone who approximates their course. Maps exist for a reason. Their purpose is to show you the road available to you between two points.

Likewise, the Bible exists for a reason: to show us the way we must go to reach our destination. If we disregard the Word or convince ourselves that one path is just as good as another and will eventually lead to the same place, then we have no one to blame but the individual in the mirror when we find ourselves wandering through the desert in circles.

When doubt creeps in, it undermines our confidence, whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not. It is one of the most powerful weapons the enemy has at his disposal, and he uses it liberally. In order for doubt to manifest in the hearts of men, it needs to germinate. There is always a latency period after the seed is planted before it can take root and sprout. This is the greatest danger giving heed to unscriptural voices poses, especially when it comes to their insistence upon needing to see certain things unfolding that the Bible never said would.

The devil is patient. His purpose is to draw men away from the truth, and he’s willing to wait in order to accomplish it. Every time some date comes and goes on which men were certain something, or another would occur, every time we see events unfolding that we were told we would never have to see, it is an opportunity for doubt to lay hold of our hearts and undermine our confidence in the omnipotence of God.

Cling to Jesus as though He were your lifeline because He is. Cling to Him as though He were your singular hope because He is. Cling to Christ as though He were the only truth, way, and life because He is all these things and more.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.