Monday: Hope Amid Turmoil
Daily Lesson for Monday 26th of May 2025
Much of the language in the book of Psalms is symbolic, but when it comes to the language that points forward to the ultimate resetting of our planet, we have little reason to believe that it is merely symbolic. Psalms 46:1-11 reminds us that the physical earth will be deeply affected by Christ’s return. But it is not merely the rocks and ocean that will be affected; the grand climax of earth’s history will mean the breakdown of worldly kingdoms—the miserable systems of human government that have caused so much suffering over the millennia.
In the end, all these powers, and all the evil and suffering that they have brought upon humanity, will come to a complete end.
Read Jeremiah 4:23-26. What is this telling us about the fate of this world, at least until there’s a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1)?
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Bible prophecy shows us what will happen to this world. The vision of Daniel 7:1-28, for instance, shows us a stormy sea from which the nations of the world arise. The winds of strife and warfare blow across the Gentile sea (the earth), producing one worldly kingdom after another, and not one of them can solve the very real problems that beset the human race. The worldly leaders we dare to trust almost always prove to be as sinful and selfish as the rest of us.
None of the kingdoms shown to Daniel proved to be a secure home for God’s people (though some were better than others). But we know that we have citizenship in the kingdom of God (Philippians 3:20), and, high above the chaos of this planet, there is a throne that cannot be moved (see Ezekiel 1:26). Jesus taught that the world will move into deeper disorder as we approach the moment of Christ’s return (Matthew 24:1-51), but we can hold out in faith, regardless of the condition of our planet, because we know that God has not lost control, and that He will fulfill His promises: “The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalms 46:6-7, NKJV). Short term, things are not going greatly nor will they. Long term? That—thanks to Jesus—is a whole other matter.
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No question, our world seems chaotic and out of control. How should the prophecy of Daniel 7:1-28, for instance, help us see that ultimately things will work out well for us if we remain faithful? |
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Isaac Watts wrote:
We have just had a huge rain event in our area. Thousands of homes have been flooded. The media is full of pictures and video clips showing the devastation. But in the background, not seeking fame or fortune, are the volunteer emergency service workers, rescuing people, providing supplies and giving hope and comfort. In this crisis these people who work on the ground (or water in this case) are the real heroes.
It is a no-brainer today to say that the world is chaotic. It is a dangerous place. The media thrives on conflict, and you do not have to look very hard to find their descriptions. It is much harder to find places of refuge and strength.
A pertinent question to ask ourselves is: Are we good at describing the chaos, or what can we do to provide a refuge and shelter for those who find themselves caught in the chaos?
[We received 260mm of rain at our place. Fortunately we are elevated and above the flood level.]
As you drive in a busy city, your GPS stops working. The GPS that was supposed to be your calm guide through the streets, stops working or even worse starts instructing you to make a U-turn in the midst of a major intersection or turn left into a construction site. It can be confusing and frustrating when driving in a city with chaos and yet you are new.
At this point you remember you have a dependable companion in the passenger seat. The co-driver is a seasoned veteran who has navigated the craziness of city driving many times. As you try to make sense of the muddled directions from the broken GPS, your co-driver calmly leans in and says, "You know, life can be a lot like this GPS. It sends mixed signals, making the road look chaotic and unpredictable. In spite of everything, we have access to a unique GPS system—the GPS of God. God's system is reliable and will never let us down, unlike the GPS in our automobiles. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6.
When things look hopeless, he says, The Lord says remember that He is there to provide direction and encouragement. Having a heavenly GPS that can see the big picture and guide us through the twists and turns with a feeling of purpose is like having a personal angel guiding us through uncertainty, chaos, and confusion.
We hear more and more about the craziness of the push to embrace transgenderism at younger and younger ages. Biological males are able to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of biological females. Chemicals are being used to castrate males before they’ve even gained an understand what it means to be a male. Chemicals are being used to render young females infertile. They are having irreversible surgeries based on how they are feeling today. We have witnessed entire denominations who once embraced the Gospel sell-out to the culture.
The vision of Daniel 7, for instance, shows us a stormy sea from which the nations of the world arise. The winds of strife and warfare blow across the Gentile sea (the earth), producing one worldly kingdom after another, and not one of them can solve the very real problems that beset the human race. None of the kingdoms shown to Daniel proved to be a secure home for God’s people (though some were better than others). But we know that we have citizenship in the kingdom of God (Phil. 3:20), and, high above the chaos of this planet, there is a throne that cannot be moved (see Ezek. 1:26). Jesus taught that the world will move into deeper disorder as we approach the moment of Christ’s return (Matthew 24), but we can hold out in faith, regardless of the condition of our planet, because we know that God has not lost control, and that He will fulfill His promises: “The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
GPS= God’s Positioning Service.
Christian hope is not simply a mere wishful thinking or optimism, but confident expectation. This assured expectation is based on God’s promises, His character (faithfulness), and what He has done in the past. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV). The hope that we have brings meaning and strength to the suffering we go through in this life. It is truly comforting to note what hope brings to a believer. “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4, NIV). This is our anchor in the time of trouble. Holding us steady from being swept away by the storms of life. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19, NIV). This hope gives us the strength and courage to live a holy life because we are assured of a reward of eternal life. “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3, NIV).
While Jesus was here on earth, He encouraged His followers to be hopeful for eternal life. He told His followers to confidently expect His kingdom.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3, NLT).
This hope that we hold strongly is beyond the grave. Jesus gave us this assurance.
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25).
I appreciate the thought behind the post.
Eternal life is less living forever than living with Jesus, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). An interesting statement given He had just spoken about mansions in heaven – the focus of which wasn’t living forever as much being with Jesus “so that you will always be with me where I am”. (John 14:1-3)
Following on from this theme, John provides the only definition of eternal life I have come across in the Bible, “this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”. (John 17:3)
Living forever is just an add on...
Yesterday, my wife and I gave this airport clerk the book The Great Controversy; he accepted, saying he wanted it but had already read it. His reaction was that the book made him tremble, fearing what would happen at the end. The enemy wants us scared because fear does not belong to the concept of real love. God is love and in control of the Earth's history; let us rejoice instead.
Would Desire of Ages be a better choice?
The thing is, you have to know Jesus first. I think I agree with Dana that Desire of Ages or Steps to Christ might be better first books to give away.
I believe, God impressed you to give the book that Mrs White wanted to be given out more than any other. It sounds like there are others that want to impress you to give out other literature.
Just because Mrs. White wanted the Great Controversy widely distributed does not mean that she would want it given to every person in every situation. And the world we live in is quite different from her time when almost everyone had a rudimentary knowledge of the Bible and Christianity. Today that is no longer the case in places like North America.
I said what I did because the person JC was trying to share with said he was terrified by the Great Controversy. That led me to feel that he needed to know Jesus first, before prophecy.
The lesson teaches that the return of Christ will bring a dramatic and literal transformation to this world, ending the suffering caused by human governments. It reveals that all earthly kingdoms will ultimately fall, making way for God’s everlasting kingdom.
As a church, we are encouraged that no matter how chaotic the world becomes, we should always remember that God is in control and His promises are sure. Our values, actions and priorities should reflect that we are citizens of God’s eternal kingdom. Therefore, let’s encourage others with the assurance that in the end, God’s kingdom will triumph and all the sufferings of this world will end.
Let’s hold on to faith, knowing that God’s kingdom is coming, and it will be a kingdom of peace, justice, and everlasting joy.
Amid the chaos and turmoil in our world today we can take comfort in His promise found in St John 14: 1-3:-
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Rev.11:15 says that when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, life as we know it will drastically change. Jesus will overthrow the kingdoms of this world.
Many people see prophecy as fearful and foreboding. However, God didn't give prophecy to frighten or to terrorize us. He gave prophecy to prepare us for His Kingdom of Righteousness. Much like a roadmap or even a GPS, it shows us where we are in this journey towards our real home. Though we may have miles to go before we can rest, with each passing day the mileage is less.
We must see the passing prophetic mileposts as signs that we are almost home. Are we using this "dashboard" time as preparation time to be ready to go to our real home? As the hymn says; "This world is not my home, I'm only passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore..."
The "Blessed Hope" is this world's best, and only hope.
Would be advisable in 2025 to share with unbelievers and with much younger Seventh-day Adventists "Love Under Fire", the shorter version with today's language, of the "Great Controversy", showing Ellen White as author.
[Editor Note: The link to Love Under Fire above goes to the Kindle version. The paperback version is available at the AdventistBookCenter.com in two formats with the same content.
Reading Daniel 7:1-28 focuses my thoughts to help with standing up under the daily challenges, knowing that this physical world was never meant to be our true home; it is a temporary dwelling where humanity learns to encounter God in Spirit and in Truth.
To be ‘at home’ was intended to reflect our spiritual relationship with God - for God is Spirit. He offered us to meet Him in His spiritual Kingdom here on earth — whether the physical world is at peace or in turmoil – the earth's powers ultimately reflect His Kingdom - Heb.13:14-16.
Daniel’s vision of the last beast and the little horn is more than a prophecy. It reveals the ongoing spiritual battle attempting to distract the saints by drawing their focus away from seeking refuge in their spiritual union with God, and toward their circumstances.
Daniel 7:27: “the kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him”.
Would the question then not be how we maintain our relationship with Him as 'the saints of the Most High', the Creator of heaven and earth? Jesus told us that, by humbling ourselves and seeking His Will and loving His Righteousness with all our heart, even as we walk through a fallen world – Matt.22:37-40; Mark 12:30-31.
The lesson seems to be focusing on a snippet here and a snippet there without paying attention to context. I'm not saying the applications are wrong, but we have to be careful. Psalm 46 is poetry. Certainly the images of the mountains giving way remind us of the end, but David and those who sang the song with him were not likely to think of those images that way. And the verses in Jeremiah that were quoted today, when read in context, are talking about the desolation of Judah after Babylon conquers. Now certainly the language can find parallels elswhere, but I'm not sure that using these verses as proof texts for the earth during the millenium is entirely appropriate. We need to always be honest with the texts.
The lesson is again taking shots at worldly governments and how bad they are, and I wouldn't disagree that many have done awful things, but I still feel the issue is less about government and more about humans. Sinful humans will have sinful governments. Sinful humans will be sinful with no government. Sinful humans have families and workplaces where people abuse their power. Sinful individuals can do a lot of harm without any system behind them. Governments have killed many people. So have serial killers and other evil individuals. I don't see much difference and I would rather have a society with governments, flawed as they are than no government. Our worldly leaders are sinful and selfish, but so are we apart from God.
I agree that worldly governments are flawed and God will bring them to an end, but I still feel it's flawed people that make them that way. Without a surrendered heart, we are all vulnerable.
Your words would bear more weight if man and not GOD was the author of Bible. Truly the human agents had no idea of the significance of what they were writing. They were not expecting their words written under inspiration to be read and appreciated thousands of years later, let alone understood prophetically. But every word of GOD is written for us upon whom the ends of the world has come (1 Corinthians 10:11) The Bible is explicit in that the prophets writings were more for us than for themselves. 1 Peter 1:10-12
Hi Marcia, I absolutely believe God is the author of the Bible. And certainly God has used allusions throughout the Bible that later writers applied. They have meaning - I don't mean to say they don't.
However, I do think we have to be cautious about making everything prophetic when it is not necessarily that. And I think there is danger in applying verses out of context. I think sometimes we turn the Bible into a big jigsaw puzzle with weird clues that we need to decipher. There is some of this, but it can be overstated.
I say this because we see people in other churches making applications that are faulty and we criticize their interpretation. But we can be guilty of doing the same things. I am just appealing for consistency.