…On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken…Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. Luke 21: 25, 26, 34, NIV.
Heavenly Father, we are looking to You for guidance, as we study Your Word. Please be close to us, and teach us; we pray this in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today we continue with our study on the signs of Christ’s second coming. In addition to the visible signs of death and destruction, Luke draws our attention to the behavior patterns that will characterize human beings living upon the earth prior to Christ’s coming! Perhaps one characteristic stands out above the others: Fear! Human beings are fearful of what they know, as well as of the unknown. Perhaps it was the launching of the atomic bomb, almost sixty three years ago that made human beings realize that they possessed the power to bring about their total destruction; that put in motion this uncontrollable fear. “Dr. Harold C. Urey, atomic bomb scientist, said in a Town Meeting of the Air broadcast, ‘I am the apostle of doom. I am still a frightened man, and I wish you to be frightened” (God Speaks to Modern Man, p. 257). But while some are fearful others drown their fear in a sea of pleasure.
Many are absorbed in the pursuit of worldly pleasures. The pleasures of the world occupy the center of their lives. I believe that the drunkenness spoken of here, although it could be taken solely as intoxication; has much to do with the state of mind that exist among the inhabitants of the earth. A drunken person is not focused. He or she cannot be depended upon to make sound decisions. They move around in a dazed manner, hardly conscious of what is happening around them. This sounds very much like the condition existing among many in our society today. I guess it is much easier to remain in a state of unawareness, than to deal with the unpleasant, seemingly uncontrollable, pressures of life. May God give us the wisdom, and the love, to be understanding, and kind, to those who are coping with the pressures of this end time.
Anxiety. This word seems to have become an instant “household name” in our society. “Between 20 and 23 million Americans have some type of anxiety disorder” (Anxiety Disorders, Hyman and Pedric). It recognizes no age limit. It is not limited to any race or creed. Christians, as well as non-Christians, are plagued by it. The young and the elderly alike, can fall under its destructive influence. The antidote that I have tried and found to be effective in fighting this disorder, is faith in God! I know it sounds simple, but as simple as it sounds, it is true!
Jesus warns, “Be careful … or that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap! Remember, God has promised to, “keep him [her] in perfect peace Whose mind is stayed on [Him]. Because he [she] trusts in [Him]. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26: 3, 4).