Looking Up

Luke 21:28: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Here are some headlines from today’s news:

“Boy, 12, wounds classmates at New Mexico school”
“Husband sues to remove pregnant wife from life support”
“Car bomb kills four in Baghdad”
“Wildfires, blistering heat scorch Australia”
“Indian police say Danish tourist gang-raped”

Wonderful news, huh? Oh, and that’s not all. A satanic group has filed a petition to have a statue of Lucifer built on the courthouse steps in Oklahoma, in protest of the Ten Commandments monument erected there. Yet another federal judge has ruled that a state law banning homosexual marriage is unconstitutional. And the list goes on and on.

Jesus warned His people that things would be really bad before they get really good. He predicted “wars and rumors of wars”, nations rising against nations, lawlessness, love growing cold, false Christs, betrayals and natural disasters. But He also gave a message of hope: When you see this stuff taking place, lift up your heads and look up, for your salvation is drawing near.

Jesus will rescue us one day. Things may not be looking up, but His children are. One day the skies will open and the Lord will return to make all things new. Hold your head up, my friend; the end to all of this nonsense is just over the horizon.

Jesus, instead of looking down at the ground in disgust, or looking around at the mess that surrounds me, help me to look up and see that my redemption is getting really close. Thank you dear Lord, Amen.