1 Peter 4:17
Today is
Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. 4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. 5 Wilt thou be angry with us forever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? 7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. 8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. 9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps. |
Just When You Think You Have God All Figured Out . . .
Eccl. 8:17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet he shall not be able to find it.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8) Because He is a loving God, He does not want Christians to wallow in hopelessness. Yes the world has major problems, but He has allowed the present to be not quite as dire as some past doom-and-gloom theories have said. Some examples:
A total world population of seven billion was predicted by the year 2000, but we were one billion below that at that time. Overpopulation fears have been rampant -- but fertility rates have dropped unexpectedly; some have gone so far as to say that by 2050 there could be less people on the planet than there are now, should the trend continue.
...and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence." One doomsday peddler in the 1980s claimed that "The tenth and final nation" had joined the European Common
Market. (As of this writing, it now comprises twenty-one nations.) Others said that NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and WTO (The World Trade Organization) were signs of the end. (Those aren�t in the news so much anymore.) The book Christ Returns By 1988: 101 Reasons Why was published. (Need more be said?)
Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:16b)
God has seemed to see fit that the "prophecy experts" have little or nothing to boast about. Read 1 Corinthians 1:29 again. Just when you think you have God all figured out, He throws a curveball.
Still, we must not let down our guard. The Rapture could hit at any time appointed by God. However, we must stay focused on His Word and not let man's speculations dictate or cloud our judgment.
"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." Matthew 13:32-33
"For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants,
and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming he suddenly find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I
say unto all, watch." Matthew 13: 34-37
The devil would love it if Christians just threw their hands up in despair and gave up on praying for revival. Do not
give in to those thoughts -- keep serving the Lord diligently regardless of the circumstances around you!
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33)
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