Maranatha

Maranatha. Come quickly, LORD.

Persecution. Mass shootings. Hate crimes. Abuse. Lying. Betrayed trust. The list goes on. Each time I hear another heinous story, I find myself shutting down more and more. Speaking for myself, I do this as a form of emotional self-protection. I cry at each story detailing the evil that is invading this world. When I cry, I feel as though I am losing control. And so I shut down, maintaining some semblance of control over my life.

My heart breaks every time I hear of innocent people being killed for seemingly no reason whatsoever, other than pure hatred and evil. Each story of violence makes me sick to my stomach. Most days I want to hide away in a safe place, never to venture out into the world again. The world has become a scary and dangerous place.

I see the world heading for destruction, and I am powerless to stop it. God said that these things would happen, and so they will. It is not my job to stop this great evil in the world. My job, I believe, is to shine the light of Jesus to those lost in the darkness, pointing them to the hope that can be found in Jesus Christ.

How then are we to cope in this evil world? Honestly, I’m still figuring this out myself. There are many days where I don’t think my heart can take much more of this evil. I just want to be safe, and I don’t often feel that way in the world today. I long for the day when I can rest at Jesus’ feet, hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

In those moments when I despair of ever finding peace, Jesus reminds me that this world is not my home. I am not meant to stay here in this dark place. He has prepared a place for me in heaven, so that I can be with Him for eternity (John 14:1-3). As the world grows dark, the light of Christ shines all the brighter. We have a wonderful hope of peace beyond the evil in this world. He will not abandon his children. Until that glorious day, Jesus gives His people the strength they need to continue to shine in this dark world.

Maranatha. Come quickly, LORD.