“It’s not the end of the world,” so they say when troubles swirl around. But even if it were we will not fear: because our God is with us where we are on the earth; because God is our Refuge and Strength; because God provides an Edenic river to flow by us; because God is a very present (in our time and in our space) help in times of trouble.
Unimaginable judgments will come upon our earth and the world at the “end of the world,” but before then portents of that Final Judgment will appear during our lifetime. We will experience great natural disasters, wars, political tumults, and the breakdown of peace and stability in our time and space.
But worse than that, our Enemies will bring trouble and turmoil into our personal lives at unexpected times and places to disturb our peace and security. It is these disturbances in the soul and in relationships that is our common experience. That is when and where the Lord comes to be our Very Present Protection and Help. That is when we are invited to come into that Very Present Presence by our gracious Jesus. “Relax, and know that I am God.” He is in control.