Popular guys and girls may think the world is ending if they get a massive pimple on their nose the day before school photographs. For adults, the prospect of having electricity cut off, or being made redundant from their jobs may seem as the end of the world.
Life and Death
On the other side of the coin, there may have been times when you literally thought the world was going to end; but not in the traditional sense. You may have been facing a life or death situation. Thankfully, I have not experienced any very close near death experiences in my life. However, there has been some times where I thought I was going to get injured, requiring hospitalisation.
The majority of these times have involved cars and red lights. There's one particular intersection I drive through multiple times a week, where cars have almost run the red light. A few weeks ago I was approaching the intersection, turning left, when a car ran the red light going straight through.
No One Knows
What we can learn from these situations is that we don't know when our lives will end. Just as we don't know when the world will end and when Jesus will return. We need to live our lives not worried for the future, but be prepared. It is God who knows this and is in control.
We need to trust Him in everything we say and do. Jeremiah 29 verse 11 – For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
The Reality of It All
In reality, no one on earth knows when the world will end. Sure, some people believe the world will end in a few short weeks. If you look to the Bible, it states something vastly different. Mark 13 verse 32 states: "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
The truth will one day be revealed in God's perfect timing.
Natalie Van Egmond from Brisbane is a journalism graduate.
Natalie Van Egmond's archive of articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/natalie-van-egmond.html