Daily Devotional (GPS)
Endure to the End in Scary, Uncertain Times
Daily Scripture
Matthew 24:1-26
1 Now Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to point out to him the temple buildings. 2 He responded, “Do you see all these things? I assure you that no stone will be left on another. Everything will be demolished.”
3 Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”
4 Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the Christ.’ They will deceive many people. 6 You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. 7 Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in all sorts of places. 8 But all these things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end. 9 They will arrest you, abuse you, and they will kill you. All nations will hate you on account of my name. 10 At that time many will fall away. They will betray each other and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. 14 This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come.
15 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this), 16 then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 17 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. 18 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 19 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 20 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. 21 There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 22 If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short.
23 “Then if somebody says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘He’s over here,’ don’t believe it. 24 False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. 25 Look, I’ve told you ahead of time. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert,’ don’t go out. And if they say, ‘Look, he’s in the rooms deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Leaving the massive Temple complex, Jesus told his disciples it would all be destroyed. * That seemed impossible. Surely, they thought, only the end of the world could destroy the Temple. But the Romans did that some 27 years later, and that awful time wasn’t the end of the world. Jesus’ words to the disciples in Matthew 24-25, the fullest report of Jesus’ words, mixed the fall of Jerusalem with other images that can only refer to the end of the world. They still have much to teach us today.
- People too often find “signs of the end” in Matthew 24:5-8—“wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiahs.” Many preachers use these images to trigger fear—“the end is near!” But Jesus said, “Don’t be alarmed” (verse 6). His point was, in effect, “These things are part of life on a broken world.” What or who shaped how you feel about the end of the world? How can reading Jesus’ message in full help you avoid needless fear?
- The disciples “knew” the Temple was permanent. But Jesus said even the Temple’s majesty was temporary. Tallying “signs,” or hunting around for a new Messiah, would let you down. “Endure to the end,” he said (verses 13-14). What “unshakeable realities” in your world have changed or “shaken” in the last 10-20 years? In whom does your peace and hope for the future center, to allow you to stand firm even in scary times?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you knew this world is too flawed to be a secure reality to trust in. Thank you for offering your steadiness as a more certain place to put my trust than even the most impressive human structures or institutions. Amen.
GPS Insights
Emily Stirewalt
Emily Stirewalt, who serves as Resurrection's Silverlink Pastor specializing in pastoral care of elderly adults, wrote today's Insights. She is an ordained Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference and has served since 2007. She is married to Randall, a special education teacher. They have two daughters, Elliott and Marlowe. Emily enjoys binge watching "Friends" or "Golden Girls."
The first time I vividly remember hearing about the end of the world was at about five years old. Two context facts: one, I have an older brother and sometimes watched movies that were rated a bit too high for me and two, I am an elder millennial, born in 1984. My big brother loved Ghostbusters and so did I because if he loved it, I thought it would be awesome. In 1989 a second Ghostbusters movie came out, and my brother likely had our cousin over for a sleepover to watch this much anticipated sequel. I vaguely remember the opening scene as that five-year-old (but as an adult who watches the movie every October for nostalgic purposes now), can guarantee you that scene shaped my view of what the end times would be like. The exact details are not important. If you are really curious, you can watch it here: Ghostbusters II – End of the World Prediction – Valentine’s Day 2016 – YouTube
Suffice it to say, there is an exact date said when the world would end. And it is long gone. Valentine’s Day 2016 has indeed come and passed. And so many other dates that people have predicted repeatedly that the world would end. As I have grown up and become more faithful, I have learned that people often offer these predictions to feel in control of something. After all, who doesn’t want a little more control these days? “Wars and rumors of war” sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
What a difficult time we are navigating together. I find comfort in recognizing that I am not God and not in control of it all. I often remind people that prayer is to change our hearts, not God’s mind. So, I invite you to pray today–to remember that God calls us to so much more than trying to predict the date of the world ending. You and I are called to make the world a better place–to bring God’s kingdom here and now, here on earth. We are called to welcome the stranger, visit the sick and imprisoned, feed the hungry–to share the love of Christ with all we meet. And maybe when we are so busy doing that, we will not have time to try and predict God’s next move; we will simply (and amazingly!) be a part of it.
What is the GPS?
Resurrection offers a free tool for those who wish to read the Bible daily. Our Grow/Pray/Study guide (GPS) provides a Bible reading, Scripture reflections based on the passage, inspirational quotes from leading Bible scholars, questions to help readers apply the Bible to their faith journey, and a daily prayer guide at the end of each day’s reflection. Many readers have told us the GPS has strengthened their spiritual growth and helped them better understand how to let the Bible guide them in Christian living.
