Is It Any Wonder That the Earth is Groaning?

It is impossible to ignore the increasing and catastrophic events happening to the earth these days. It's as if every category of weather has caused devastating damage and loss of life. Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, volcanoes, wildfires, floods... the world has experienced them all. El Niño has ravaged Ecuador, as well as our homeland. Turkey and Syria saw earthquakes in 2023 that impacted an estimated 15.7 million people, with 2.5 million being children, who as refugees, faced increased risk of poverty, child labor, or child marriage in the aftermath of the disaster, (according to the YouTube site Insane Curiosity). 

China has experienced massive floods; Morocco an earthquake; the Pacific Ring of Fire is currently very active with volcanoes and earthquakes; and our own nation suffered from winter storms across the eastern half of the country, tornado outbreaks, flooding across Hawaii, a record freeze in Florida, and the Winter Storm from hell that extended from Texas through the Northeast. Solar activity certainly seems to have increased in frequency, causing havoc with cyber technology and warnings of geomagnetic storms. As I write this, there is a disturbance threatening the Gulf, and while we could sure use the rain in our part of the country, I pray that the earth does not experience a disaster that is violent or full of fury.

I'm not an expert, by any means, on geology or the natural phenomena that I've mentioned. But I can't help but connect the dots to the Bible's correlation between God's creation and man's sin. Roman 8:22 tells us "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." There is actually a dynamic partnership between the [land of the] Earth and the covenant relationship between God and those [of men] who belong to Him. 

In fact, the state of the earth is a reflection of humanity's sin. And the earth groans as it experiences the fallout and consequences of our failing to honor our God and just how much we need Him. Our disobedience and selfishness have resulted in a corrupted world, physically and spiritually. And it seems we have forgotten that God warns He will shake the earth when we begin to rely on the material aspects of this world more than on Him... Hebrews 12:26-27 tells us, but now He has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken -- that is, things that have been made -- in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

It's not difficult to see how the world is being shaken. Nations and their governments are in conflict. The wars and rumors of war that Jesus prophesied are happening around the world. The economies of the world are teetering. Civil war is threatened within our own borders. And the institutions we once trusted as the stable foundation of our nation, have proven to be dishonorable, corrupt, and immoral. God is shaking all the underpinnings of our mortal existence that we've put our trust in -- including governments, money, military, education, jobs, technology, and even our churches. He is shaking them to show us that everything we have built and relied on ourselves is temporary and can be shaken. He is trying to show us that "the things that cannot be shaken" will be everything that is built upon Jesus Christ, and it will be eternal. 

We should not be surprised that the Earth is groaning. In order to understand why, we must recognize that the impact of sin on the land has been made clear from the beginning of Scripture, specifically in the Genesis account of the Fall. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, and fell for Satan's lie that they could be "like God, knowing good and evil", the consequences of their sin extended far beyond themselves and their banishment from the presence of God. He actually tells them "Cursed is the ground because of you". Their sin not only disrupted the harmony of their relationship with God, but also the harmony of man's relationship with the earth.

We also see that the land is a vital element in the covenantal promises God made to the patriarchs. For instance, the Promised Land is a clear sign of God's blessing and faithfulness upon His chosen people [to whom He gives their purpose: to reveal Him to earth's inhabitants]. But the enjoyment and possession of the land is contingent upon Israel's obedience. The history of Israel throughout the Bible is a story of their faithfulness vs their disobedience, and the land who mourns due to the moral spiritual failings of its inhabitants. God frequently sent His prophets to warn the people regarding the impact their sin would have on the land, and cautioned them that the suffering land was a sign of His divine judgment.  

And because our faith teaches us that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we must not be blind to the signs we are seeing on the earth today. I believe that the earthquakes, mudslides, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and volcanoes are depictions of the increasing groans of creation, as it struggles and suffers with labor pains, while longing for redemption and God's restoration. They are witnessing to us, letting mankind know that if we [and our leaders] don't turn from our own selfish motives and desire for power and wealth, that we can expect divine judgment from Heaven.

I don't know how anyone could ignore the violence we see in creation today. Do we think that the sulfur and fire that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah could never happen today? Yet, the nations continue to rage with their self-serving political polarization, division, hatred, slaughter, and self-worship. It's not enough to study prophecy and read the Word, if you're not seeking God's Presence and Intimacy with His Son. Information about Him is not the same as knowing Him. Recognizing the signs that the earth is groaning is not enough! 

We must discern that God is shaking the earth to get our attention! He is inviting us to be present with Him. He is reminding us that this earth is our temporary home. The raging world must turn away from its sins, repent, and seek the Prince of Peace! We must not live in fear and trembling of the next shaking. Instead, we must act like God's people ... remain anchored in His Word; seek His Presence; serve the suffering; strengthen our families; disciple the next generation; and share the Gospel with the lost, with both compassion and conviction. 

In summary, although we may see the earth groaning, the nations raging, and our foundations trembling, we have the confidence of our faith which proclaims the truth that we are on a journey to our eternal and lasting home ... God's Kingdom, which cannot be shaken. Let us stay focused on our Savior and be a reflection of Him to a fallen world. Let us reflect our hope in that eternal kingdom to a world that is overcome by fear. The darker the future gets, the brighter Christ's Light will shine in and through us. Let us show Creation that we are the true sons and daughters of God and their redemption and restoration are nigh!

Romans 8:19-21      For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 

 

The Lord Is Testing Us! May We Come Forth As Refined Gold!

Have you noticed or felt that the world is on shaky ground -- literally and spiritually? Are you experiencing a season of feeling weighed down by the responsibilities of life, and sensing a strong spiritual force coming against you? You're not alone! The planet is literally trembling and shaking at the surface, and spewing forth from its depths. Wildfires, hurricanes, pandemics, famine and food shortages are becoming more frequent and more severe. Is a Polar Shift in our future? All this plus the recent volcanic and earthquake activity are evidence of the "birth pains" that Jesus foretells in Matthew 24. 

He is very deliberate in describing the signs and events that will happen before the end of the age. Like the birth pains before the birth of a baby, many Christians understand these signs to mean that Jesus's return is coming quickly once they start. But they miss the fuller understanding that these signs and events are just the beginning of greater troubles to come. Just as the labor pains [at the birth of a child] increase with intensity, Jesus is telling us that we will experience challenges that will escalate in strength and force as the end approaches. 

These events will be the beginning of sorrows, followed by the worsening of the labor pains [as the world prepares for the fullness of the birth of God's Kingdom on earth]. But we cannot escape the times of tribulation that come before that glorious birth; the times of great catastrophe, anguish, and cataclysm. Are we there yet? I don't know, is my honest answer. But I don't think we can dismiss the deception that Jesus warns us about in Matthew 24:4-5 ; or the wars and global conflicts we are seeing in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iraq and now Taiwan. Hints of Nuclear war are increasing. These wars alone don't mean the end, but when they abound alongside the other signs, they indicate His return is getting closer. 

As I talked about in my preceding post, the moral and spiritual decline, along with the celebration of evil as being right, plus the mocking of Biblical values shows us we are mirroring 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ... People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy. We are there, folks!

We can't ignore Israel's role in End-Times prophecies, nor the tensions that are building in the world as every nation is watching the Holy Land. I need you to understand my position on God's chosen people. The land belongs to God and He will restore His holy Zion and her people to their homeland. But there's a difference between the holy Zion of the Bible and the secular, political Zion we see today. But I believe there will be a time of repentance and they will return, fully committed to their God. That is my prayer for them!

And, if you read my blog with any regularity, you will notice that I often write about warnings surrounding Technology and the role it could play in the prophecy of Revelation 13:16-17 .... It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. Can you see the system of control that is beginning to creep its way into our lives? -- It's visible in restaurants that no longer accept cash as payment; in digital IDs; in AI surveillance on our phones, in our TVs and appliances; and microchips used as part of the infrastructure for worldwide tracking of every human on earth. 

One clear indicator for me is Jesus's prophecy that the end of the age will come when one last sign is fulfilled ... it will come when "this good news of the gospel of the kingdom is preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations".  Consider how long it has taken during the past centuries to spread this gospel! Now, one click and it is shared worldwide. While Satan will try and use Technology for evil, God is using it to for His good and spreading His Word fast and far!  

So all this is telling us how the Bible says we will recognize the "signs of the times". But how are you dealing with all this personally? Do you recognize that as the prophecies of God's Word are unfolding, that we are also being tested by God as to the level of our faith? In 2015, I wrote of my feelings of anxiety and apprehension as I discerned the civil unrest in our streets, the racial tension among our citizens, homeland terrorism, and the threats of world war. That was ten years ago and everything is escalating! The birth pains are increasing in intensity! 

At the time, I found myself trying to look into the future, plotting and planning ways to endure that scary time. Today, my spirit knows the truth -- my security does not lie in anything I can do -- the world, itself, offers no security. And what the world calls security is false. No amount of money, peace of mind, or stability in my life measures up to the trust I have in the Lord through my faith. [NOTE: I am not naive ... I have skills that will sustain me in times of trouble]. And I will admit, that there are times the Enemy taunts me to return to those sleepless nights full of fear and sows into my active imagination. But I remind myself that my husband and myself are in a covenant with the Most High God. We have put our confidence in the truth that He is who He says He is, and will do what He has promised us: He will be faithful to provide for all our needs, if we would be faithful to put our trust in Him. 

I will accept it if He decides to test me. I am not perfect! And He needs to know He can trust me to do His work when the times get tough -- and we're headed that way! So I praise Him for those times when I discern His testing and the supernatural clarity of the inter-dimensional aspects of this world and the heavenly realms. All the worries and concerns that the Enemy uses to distract me are only momentary and worthless compared to the riches that will be my inheritance in Heaven. I want Him to refine me and purify me so that I can battle the darkness, all while waiting on Him and renewing my strength. So, as the Bible encourages us, let us count it all joy when we meet these trials and tests, because it will help us develop our steadfastness. And when we prove that we can remain resolute and steady in times of trials and tribulation, we are assured the Crown of Life! It is all worth it! Hallelujah!  

Job 23:10     But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].