The Stability of Our Times

Our family enjoys vacations to the coast, and with us now living in south-central Virginia, we’re not terribly far from the Outer Banks (OBX). With the OBX being a barrier island, change is constant. Beach erosion has become significant, and since 2020, dozens of homes have collapsed into the ocean. Fine vacation homes that once stood a couple of hundred yards from the surf are being swallowed by nature.

Watching a video of a large beach house collapsing into the ocean can be a surreal experience. Something that once seemed so permanent can be gone in an instant, battered to pieces by forces beyond our ability to contain.

The OBX image is relevant to our day. Living as a teenager in the 1970s, I never envisioned the things we’re now seeing. Genders have been confused, the middle class is disappearing, and many seemingly solid institutions—family, government, church—appear to be collapsing. We wonder what’s going on, longing for the stability of days gone by. The younger generations are growing up with even less certainty, having never experienced the security of a typical baby boomer childhood.

How do we explain the times in which we live? I, for one, take great comfort in reading the Bible. We are living in the last days—an era prophesied as one of physical, social, and financial upheaval.

Just as it should be no surprise that the sands of a barrier island would shift without ceasing, so we should not be caught unaware of the difficulties of our era. This world is not meant to be permanent, and something far greater lies beyond the horizon.

If we allow the media to define our perspectives, we will think it is the world of politics that matters most. And while what happens in our centers of government is obviously important, it is the church that has God’s eye. If we want to understand what’s happening in these last days, we must grasp God’s love, vision, and plan for His church.

The death knell of the church has been sounded countless times throughout the centuries, but that supposed corpse keeps rising from the dead. Yes, significant issues of decay and corruption have plagued the people of God throughout the years, but our Creator also has a plan, and He never fails in what He purposes to accomplish.

In recent months, through all the turmoil—and perhaps because of it—large numbers of young people have been turning to God and becoming part of His church universal. As is often the case, much of this awakening has taken place on college campuses—once bastions of godless doctrine. And the renewing work of His Spirit will continue to spread for the foreseeable future.

How are we to respond to all that is happening around us? Not with fear, or worry, or a futile grasp on the past because Jesus is the stability of our times. Always. But as much as we long for security, I don't think that is the most important issue.

The God of heaven is moving here on earth. Now is the time to be about our heavenly Father’s business. It is a time for faith, love, generosity, and hope-filled prayer to characterize our lives.

As I watch the moral fabric of our culture collapsing around us, self-centeredness seems to come naturally. I ponder how my loved ones will be affected and what the future holds for me and my household. While it is good to have deep concern for our loved ones, we must also ask how the King of heaven would use us to accomplish His good purposes in our era.

Yes, the challenges are many, but our God is so much greater, and He is working in a powerful way. Let's not shrink back in fear but instead lift up our eyes and take part in the amazing work Jesus is doing through His church.