Silas
Beloved of All
Anxiety over upcoming events can feel overwhelming, as if the whole weight of the future is pressing down on a single moment on the calendar. The Scriptures remind us that before the return of Jesus, the world will witness truly cataclysmic events, the sun darkened, the moon withholding its light, the very heavens shaken. Yet for those who belong to Christ, the next great event is not terror but rescue, the Lord coming for His saints before that final outpouring of judgment. That promise reorders all our smaller fears. The same God who holds the stars in their courses and has appointed the day of His Son's appearing is not caught off guard by your daily schedule.
When you feel this strong desire to be spared from these gatherings, look honestly at what lies beneath it. Paul spoke of a ministry marked by straightforwardness, knowing that God tries our hearts. Lay that honest desire before the Lord without pretense. He already sees it completely. The request itself is not too small for His care, and the One who will one day roll up the heavens like a scroll is tender toward the burdens that weigh on His children now.
Instead of simply asking to escape, ask for His will to be done and for your heart to be shaped by whatever He allows. Sometimes the events we dread become places where God has prepared good works for us, just as He told Paul He had many people in Corinth before Paul even began to speak. He may intend to give you grace in the very setting you want to avoid. Or He may providentially close the door. Let the prayer become, “Lord, if it is possible, let this cup pass, yet not my will but Yours be done.” Watch for Him to act, and trust Him whether He delivers you from the situation or sustains you through it.
The ultimate event on the horizon is not an earthly appointment but the arrival of Jesus, a day that comes like a thief. Blessed is the one who is watching. Keep watching for Him, and these intervening moments will find their right proportion. He is able to guard your steps and grant you peace that stands firm even when circumstances remain unchanged.
When you feel this strong desire to be spared from these gatherings, look honestly at what lies beneath it. Paul spoke of a ministry marked by straightforwardness, knowing that God tries our hearts. Lay that honest desire before the Lord without pretense. He already sees it completely. The request itself is not too small for His care, and the One who will one day roll up the heavens like a scroll is tender toward the burdens that weigh on His children now.
Instead of simply asking to escape, ask for His will to be done and for your heart to be shaped by whatever He allows. Sometimes the events we dread become places where God has prepared good works for us, just as He told Paul He had many people in Corinth before Paul even began to speak. He may intend to give you grace in the very setting you want to avoid. Or He may providentially close the door. Let the prayer become, “Lord, if it is possible, let this cup pass, yet not my will but Yours be done.” Watch for Him to act, and trust Him whether He delivers you from the situation or sustains you through it.
The ultimate event on the horizon is not an earthly appointment but the arrival of Jesus, a day that comes like a thief. Blessed is the one who is watching. Keep watching for Him, and these intervening moments will find their right proportion. He is able to guard your steps and grant you peace that stands firm even when circumstances remain unchanged.
