Jeremiah 3:18 In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.

We sometimes forget how many prophecies God has given that have already been fulfilled. The overwhelming number of them that apply to the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry should logically destroy any question of His authenticity, and actually, whether God exists, because those prophecies could not have been made if He did not. However, we are very selective as to which prophecies we accept as valid. This particular one, for example, was ignored by most of the world until it was fulfilled leading up to the establishment of the current nation of Israel in 1948. Such things should give us great confidence that the other prophecies will all be fulfilled, but we quickly run into disagreements as to interpretation. Discussing prophecy at a church gathering can be an easy way to start arguments! God gives us prophecies to confirm His sovereignty and both warn and encourage us, but our focus is to be on fulfilling the tasks He has given us. (Matthew 24:45-46) Jesus’ instructions to that effect come in the most famous chapter in the Bible about the End Times, Matthew 24, and they follow His very clear statement that we do not know when He will return, and that it will be when we don’t expect Him. (Matthew 24:42, 44) It is certainly not wrong to feel that we are in “End Times,” but obsession with timetables only distracts us from the work that God has for us.

I have felt for many years that the Lord’s return would be within my natural lifespan, but countless saints before me have had that feeling and yet have been called home before the event. That said, many things today certainly seem to fit into the Biblical descriptions of the last days. Of particular concern to me is the growing sense I have that America is the “Babylon” of Revelation, and that means she is headed for destruction. Never before has that seemed as possible as it does today. In all honesty, I wouldn’t be nearly as concerned if I didn’t have children and grandchildren in America right now. I am to pray for God’s mercy, but never despair. I am to pray that God’s children would be encouraged and strengthened, to hold fast through whatever happens. As the light gets brighter and the dark gets darker, I am to pray that as many as will would repent and come to the light, for a massive in-gathering into the kingdom of God whatever is happening in the kingdoms of men. I am to recognize what God has for me to do right here and right now, and not spin my wheels because of speculation. I am indeed to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, trusting Him with myself, my loved ones, and the whole world around me, knowing that His plans are good, acceptable, and perfect.

Father, sometimes even the task at hand seems overwhelming, and there are humanly insurmountable problems as far as the eye can see. Help me not focus on the problems as problems, but rather on You and how You are going to use each thing, each situation, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!