It seems like the whole world is on fire this summer. Utah. Northern Ontario. Summerland, British Columbia. Spain. The cities of Ukraine. Croatia. Germany. England and Wales. France, Portugal. And earthquakes in Columbia.
Fire
It’s not the end of the world as we know it. But for some, it’s the end of their world.
Like everyone I’ve been watching in horror the wildfires that are burning across the world right now. Did you see videos coming out of BC this week of families escaping their community through flames? I read a story of retired couple who had invested four years of their life in building a beautiful mountainside home, only to lose it in ten minutes in the fire. There was confusion and terror in the eyes of a family running out of their luxurious home in Columbia as an earthquake tears it apart.
Their trauma sounded like the heartache of families living through a terrible war in Ukraine.
Pile that on top of reports about Canadian families in danger of losing their homes and businesses because of rising inflation and interest rates. I think it should force us all to ask hard questions about what actually matters to us as humans and where we fix our hope.
Photo by Mike Newbry on Unsplash
End Times?
I see lot’s of people doom posting about living in the biblical end times.
That’s an interesting and incorrect take on what God is communicating.
The end times in the Bible are not about doom.
They are ultimately about hope.
While end-times texts like Revelation and Daniel include warnings of hardship, wars, and cosmic trouble, their core purpose is to comfort suffering people, and show that God is in control.
Hope in the last days is not merely a future expectation but also a present reality that shapes the lives of believers.
I’ve posted some verses I rely on for hope that have been tested by fire.
Hope That Is Real
1 Peter 1:3,4 (English Standard Version) – “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
Christian hope is not based on wishful thinking—it is a living hope, made possible because Jesus rose from the dead. Because of God’s great mercy, our future is secure: we have an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil, or fade.
Hebrews 10:23 (New English Translation) – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful…”
Our hope is not something we hold onto only when life is easy; it is something we hold fast to even when circumstances shake us. We can remain confident because our hope rests not on our ability to keep believing, but on the faithfulness of the God who made the promise.
The End Of Our Strength
2 Corinthians 1:9,10 (NET) – “…we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.”
Sometimes God allows us to reach the end of our own strength so that we learn to stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting more deeply in Him. Our hope is secure because the God who has delivered us in the past is the same God who will sustain and deliver us in the future.
Romans 12:12 (NET) – “Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer…”
Hope gives us a reason to hold on even when circumstances are difficult, because our confidence is ultimately in God rather than in our circumstances. And when trials come, we keep holding on.
Romans 5:3-5 (New International Version) – “…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame…”
Every trial you face is an opportunity for God to build unshakable character and a resilient hope that will never disappoint, because His love is at work within you through the Holy Spirit.
Security
1 Timothy 6:17 (NET) – “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy…”
Don’t let what you have become the place where you find your security, identity, or hope, because our stuff can change, or disappear in a moment, but God never does. Enjoy the blessings God has given you with gratitude, while keeping your heart anchored in the One who is your true provider and lasting source of hope.
Romans 15:13 (New English Translation) – “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit…”
Place your trust in the God of hope. He can fill your heart with a joy that circumstances cannot steal, and a peace that fear cannot silence.
If you found this encouraging, please leave a comment below. Share this post in your social media platforms as an inspiration to others. Thank you.
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