He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have called you and you are mine." Jer. 31:3

Dear Friends and Family,

   

Adam and I's hearts have been burdened for the people of Japan after receiving news about the devastating earthquake and tsunami. It does not take very much to be reminded that our life here on the earth is but a breath and we have no control. My heart breaks for the hurting people in Japan..those that have lost loved ones or are waiting to hear from loved ones...homes destroyed, food and water lacking, those sick and injured...not to mention the unrest after such a devastation. 

I remember thinking about a picture something like the one I have posted above and thinking about the simple song I was taught as a child: "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands...." What does that look like to you? More importantly, what does that mean to you? After doing a study in high school on Revelation, I remember being in awe and quite frankly having a deeper holy fear and reverence of the God I serve. 

I have a new light, a new perspective when reading Matthew 24 on the signs of the end of the age:

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said,' when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming...?' Jesus answered...'You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me...For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-and never to be equaled again...but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened...'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the starts will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 

Still with me? Hang in there...

'At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky...with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other...even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation (or race) will not pass away until all these things have happened." 

Wow! Powerful... Christ is coming, but before he does, this world (not just a country or city) will be in mass devastation and (I'm sure) chaos. How can we not turn to a God who is so much bigger than all this? How can we not run into the arms of the one who is calling us to him? I do not know when he is coming, no one does, but Christ warns in his word that it is soon.

In closing, John 3:16 says, "For God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life."  

There is a happy ending to this...No matter what we endure on earth, if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we will be with him in heaven for an eternity and come back to reign on a new earth. 

Revelation 21:1-5 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away...I am making everything new.' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"