Like a flag, the earth hangs at half-mast.
According to Veterans Affairs (VA.gov), the United States flag flies at half-mast or half-staff when the nation mourns a particular tragedy.
When I was much younger, flags flying at half-mast were rare. Today, the large flag in the schoolyard near my home often droops its colors halfway up its silvery pole. Daily news feeds pummel our ears with unimaginable sights and sounds of violence and death.
“When will it all end?” we ask each other. “What’s happened to our country? Our world?”
From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus predicts the earth’s and humanity’s future. Don’t check your horoscope or a fortune teller. In fact, the Lord strictly forbids such consultations. God tells the future in the pages of the Bible.
Jesus describes war among the world’s peoples, nations, and kingdoms, as well as upheaval and the earth’s instability. Further, He warns His people that they will be persecuted, imprisoned, and killed because of their faith. He also states that many people will faint from fear because of what they see, hear, and experience.
So far, Jesus’ words may sound like another frightening news feed. But there is a final act to this real-world drama—a turnaround point, a reversal where darkness is penetrated by the light of the world, Jesus Christ.
Believers must straighten up and lift their heads as the earth and people continue to decline. Why? Because Christ is returning to set everything right. Stay alert. Stand strong. Look for Him to appear in the clouds with great power and glory.
Jesus knows us and waits for us to call out to Him, pray, read the Bible, and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. He will not turn us away.
How do you react to the bad news you hear daily?
(photo courtesy of pixabay and scholia)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Grace Assante has enjoyed various writing projects over the years, and after attending the 2022 Asheville Christian Writers Conference, she was inspired to learn the craft of writing well and not to give up on her dreams of publication. She and her husband live in Brooklyn, New York, and are blessed with three grown children, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and three adorable grandkids. She enjoys traveling, reading, taking long walks with her husband, and meeting friends for coffee.