Devotion

Trials and Tribulations
 
Mark 13:5 (NIV) Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
 
We are living in times that Jesus spoke of to His disciples when they were together on the Mount of Olives. Just as He said, we are witnessing the presence of false teachers of the gospel, warring nations, threatened kingdoms, environmental chaos, biased and deceptive governments, families in crisis, diseases, poverty… and the list goes on. However, Jesus told His disciples not to be alarmed. That’s exactly what He is saying to us right now. The trials and tribulations we see and hear about are the initial signs of the end times for this world. There is still much more to come. I’m sure Jesus’s disciples felt great anxiety while hearing about all of these things, just as we find ourselves anxious in this reality. But we know by the Word of God that such occurrences are part of a beautiful coming attraction – God’s plan for us in His Kingdom! We are to stay watchful and alert - but when today’s breaking news starts to make us anxious – we must lay aside our worries - and let our faith in God keep us in His peace within our souls.