Getting A Grip In An Out of Control World

We live in a radically changing world and sometimes it scares me. Take our nation for instance: it use to be revered–feared–but that’s changing. Hijacked planes, murdered diplomats, city streets transformed into death traps–all in broad daylight.

The world seems to careen out of control and we wonder, “What does tomorrow hold for us–for our children?

No force on earth has the power to secure complete safety and peace, but there is a heavenly Being that can. Nations rage, rulers scramble, but God reigns supreme–unchallenged by the schemes of man or the mechanisms of evil.

So for those who acknowledge this God, and bow to His righteous Son, the future holds profound hope:

• Hope that good will trump evil–and justice will prevail.

“The Lord reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
⁸ He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
⁹ The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹ Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
¹² For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.

• Hope that someone good is in control of this world–someone greater than those who wantonly wreak destruction.

“Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹ From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do.” (Isaiah 46:9-11)

• Hope for a future reunion with lost loved ones–never to be separated again.

 ^“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (I Thessalonians 4:16-18)

• Hope of a better world in which to live–a world free of fear and pain.

 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

No matter who we are, where we’ve come from, or how much this crazy world has muddled our lives, God offers us life–full, free, overflowing LIFE–and the hope of a bright future.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

He extends His offer to anyone who seeks Him according to truth–His truth, found in Scripture.

“God is spirit,  and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

And this truth is one that never changes. Despite the passage of time, the evolution of culture, the disintegration of society, for God never changes.

Now that sounds like something I could anchor in during these tough times! How about you? What keeps you steady as you view the chaotic world scene?