“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  (Luke 21:25-26)

We know these verses pretty well.  We quote them pretty often, and probably they are being quoted even more now, as distress is rising everywhere.  These verses aren’t alone either.  Just 2 verses earlier:  “For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.”  (Luke 21:23, using a different word for “distress”.)  And from Paul:  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.”  (2 Timothy 3:1, using yet another word.)  Collectively, these words mean distress, anguish, calamity, perilous, terrible.

I can hear you.  “Well, we really didn’t need all that pushed in our face, did we?”  Nearly every one of us is dealing with levels of stress we would not wish on anyone.  When we make ourselves really think about it, we know there is actually some hopefulness in it.  This is about the last days, the last before the coming of the Lord!  Jesus says in the next verses, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  (Luke 21:27-28)  This is our hope, right?  It’s all going somewhere.  It’s going to be made right.

Are we in those “last days”?  I do not know.  I pray we are.  We (i.e. we as humans, and we as believers) really need our Lord.  Can we, in these times, straighten up and raise our heads?  I pray we can, however much time there may be before he comes with power and glory.  It’s hard, though, isn’t it?

The apostle Paul faced an immense amount of stress, spanning decades.  How did he do it?  Well one big thing helped, and that was his connection with the brothers and sisters he knew.  This is plain in many of his letters, one wonderful example being 1 Thessalonians 3:6-8:  “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”

Have we tried this?  “In all our distress,” have we found comfort in others standing fast?  A couple verses later Paul writes words that take on great added meaning with the isolation most of us are experiencing: “We pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face…”  Being together, face to face, is so vital.  Something to pray for indeed, if we aren’t able to, or if it’s limited.  Something to rejoice in and not take for granted, if we’re able to.

There is another encouragement from Paul that, I think, we ought to set before our eyes—frequently, and thoughtfully.  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”  (Romans 8:35)  Distress (this one means calamity or anguish) cannot separate us!  Paul goes on, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:37-39)

Words as familiar as the ones we began with.  Hopefully not just words, but something we are confident of, an anchor for us.  “More than conquerors” of all that distress?  Well yes, but not our doing.  Yes, because he loved us, loves us, will always love us.  Not a promise that there won’t be tribulation, distress, persecution and all the rest.  But a promise that our God is far bigger than all that.  Whether this distress is truly the last of the last days, or there is a bit more time yet to pass, we cannot be separated from the one who loves us.

Love, Paul

If you have any feedback, please contact me at: paul.zilmer@gmail.com