Can you see into the future? Does your vision extend past the present and your current situation? Are you able to get a sense of what’s coming? Do you know how you’ll act when difficult times are upon us? Will you represent the Lord in a manner worthy of Him?
I personally desire to answer in the affirmative. I want the vision for things to come, yet when I get a glimpse of it, I wonder whether I’ll be up to the task. Because of how the Lord has set my mind to view the world through a Biblical, prophetic lens, I see what Scripture says will soon be upon us. In looking at the conditions of the world, it appears to me that they all line up with what God has declared in His Word will happen. The problem is that from an earthly, fleshly perspective, that which is coming isn’t what I particularly want to experience.
I see the global elites scheming and plotting successfully to move us into their vision of utopia under the guise of the Great Reset, a.k.a. The New World Order. I see their desire to eliminate a large swath of mankind, because the fewer the people , the easier it is to control the populace. I see the totalitarian mindset that drives these people at the top to do what is necessary for achieving their purposes. I see the capitulation of so many people to whatever they’re told because “it’s for their own good.” I see the coming collapse of economies and monetary systems that will bring unprecedented chaos in America when our dollar loses its status as the world’s reserve currency. I see the global supply chains already strained and at the point of collapse, such that when we lose them, we lose the ability to stock supermarket shelves and to feed many. I see the political division that is reaching the breaking point in this country. I see the fear driving people’s decisions to comply with unconstitutional dictates because they simply want a semblance of normality again. I see the shaking of the church that God is allowing so that He can separate the sheep from the wolves. I see the natural disasters all around us that will soon cause famine conditions. I see the need for those who truly love the Lord to give, and to give of themselves, in ways we’ve never had to do. I see many of us questioning how far we should go in this respect.
In Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, he praised believers in Macedonia for their generosity in giving, and encouraged the Corinthians to do the same. They had much and Paul stated that as a matter of fairness, they should desire to help others who had less. The implication is that God gave them the abundance they enjoyed, and they had an obligation because of His blessing, to turn around and bless others without holding back. He said in 2 Corinthians 8:14-15:
… your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
There’s a sense of quid pro quo here. This Latin phrase means “what for what” or more clearly: “favor for favor.” Whatever the Corinthians gave in abundance woukd come back to them also in abundance. There is a leveling of what one group has so the other has just as much. This isn’t socialism because what is given is voluntary and from the heart; it’s not coerced and taken by force. The other aspect is that in some manner the group on the receiving end will likewise give something of value to the givers, and all will have what they need. This is the fairness that Paul speaks of.
How does this tie into my gloomy reflections above?
A day is coming, perhaps much sooner than we realize, that extreme hardship is likely to hit this nation. As a result, many people will have serious need. One thing that may occur is that when food is scarce in the cities, people will begin heading to the rural areas. There will undoubtedly be much violence, but for those who come peacefully, what do we who live in the country do when people show up at our door hungry and needing help?
In The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004TS1MGK), the author recounts what her family did during World War 2 when the Jews were being rounded up by the Nazis for extermination. They took them in, fed and hid them, and helped them to escape to other, safer countries. The family shared what they had, and God provided. However, their unselfish actions eventually caused them to be discovered and sent to a concentration camp. Yet, the miracles that came out of this and the astounding faith this family demonstrated had incredible rewards.
Given what I see as I’ve outlined above, what will I be called upon to do by God? What will I need to sacrifice in order to be worthy of being called a follower of Jesus Christ?
I don’t know the answers. The one thing I do know is that trouble is coming, and we’ll all likely be called upon by the Lord to do something that honors Him before He whisks us away to a safe destination, a hiding place for seven years. I suggest you think on these things. They may happen a lot quicker than you think, and you’ll have to make some difficult decisions. My prayer is that I’ll be ready, willing, and able to do all that God asks of me, and that many others will as well.