Signs of the Times
By Karen D’Amore
And there
will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars;
and upon the earth distress of nations, with
perplexity…
Luke 21:25a (NIV)
Labor Day weekend 2017, the state of
Florida was bracing for the worst hurricane in history. Meanwhile, portions of
Texas were still submerged under floodwaters from catastrophic hurricanes of
their own. On the heel of scattered hurricanes, 65 major fires were
incinerating the western U.S. In addition, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes
and floods were destroying lives in neighboring countries. Mother Nature was on
a worldwide warpath!
As a believer who’s mindful of
Scripture, I recognized the influx of natural disasters as a pivotal “mile
marker” in relation to the signs of the times. And I could see the “finish
line” for the world growing nearer.
I ran in a half marathon that same
Labor Day weekend, and experienced a picture of what Scripture says about the
signs of the times. From the start line, the race headed south for five miles
then looped back north for the same five miles, with the 10-mile marker being
in close proximity to the finish line. While nearing the 10-mile marker, I could
hear spectators cheering for runners coming from the opposite direction, as
they crossed the finish line. When I passed those runners who were finishing
the race, I still had 3.1 miles left to run.
Mentally, as soon as I heard the
crowd cheering…and saw the
FINISH line…I was done! Those final 3.1 miles were the hardest miles I’ve ever
run, and I considered dropping out of the race. Seeing the FINISH
sign before the race was over was torturous! However, when I approached the FINISH line the second time…knowing the
race was truly finished…I was simultaneously depleted and overjoyed!
The experience drew me to see
parallels to “signs of the times” in the world today. We’re witnessing and
experiencing natural phenomenons aligning with scriptural warnings that point
to the FINISH line. But despite the fires and floods and nature’s other ravaging
effects on the earth, the race isn’t over…yet! We must continue to wade through
the deep waters…sift through the ashy rubble…and rescue the unbelieving world
from its perishing path.
As Christ-followers, the only way to
know the sign of the times is to know Scripture. As we see “mile markers” indicating
the FINISH line is near…remember, the race isn’t finished…yet. We need to stay
on course…not lose hope…and never give up ”while we wait for the blessed hope -
- the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus
2:13).
GOING
DEEPER:
1. How are signs of end times
changing your approach to the finish line?
FURTHER
READING:
Married to Dan, Karen, a retired
police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and as an
instructor in the Cosmetology Department at WCTC. Karen also serves on the
Welcoming Team at Oakwood.
