Way back, only 13 years ago on this day, a man named Harold Camping – a California preacher = proclaimed that the beginning of the end of the world would occur. As with this subject, it became the center of attention to many. Most of us have read headlines like this in our lifetime. The end of life as we know it is a common concern for those of us who inhabit the world today. I wonder why we’re so intrigued with the subject. For the most part, most of humanity is happy with life. The thought of our planet disintegrating or blowing up is not something we look forward to, but as we get older and see what’s happened to the earth in just one lifetime, it makes us wonder what God is waiting for.

There are many references to the end of the world in the Bible. Only God, the Father knows when this will occur. He alone has established the day, the hour and the minute. So how does a person prepare for this. Back in the old days, when I was in elementary school, we had weekly drills on how to react if there was a dangerous situation or a war broke out. We were told to get under our desks and cover our heads. I’m not sure how that would help if there actually was such an occurrence, but we blindly went ahead and followed directions anyway.

The Bible talks about the end of the world in the book of Revelations in terrifying terms. Fire will be the cause of the destruction. It will come from the heavens and rain down on every inch of the planet. There are other references which describe the end as a thief coming in the night. We don’t know when it will happen. No one knows except God. We do know that we should be prepared at all times, because it will happen when we are least expecting it. The best way to prepare is not to hide under a desk with our heads covered. We should be immersed in God’s promises to us through His inspired Word, the Bible. What lies beyond the grave? What will happen to those who don’t believe in God. Knowing that God has prepared a new world for us in which there will be no more tears, sadness or worry, may seem hard to believe when we see all the corruption in our world.

There will always be those who think they have the actual time and date of the end of the world. God is in control of all things that happen in our lives, including the ending of the place we dwell. Trust in His wisdom to fulfill the promise in His timing. He wants all people to be with Him in heaven. It’s going to take a while for that to happen. Some will never experience it. Some of us can’t wait for it. Some of us will try to save the planet in various ways, but only God can control truly fix it.

If we think of each day as our last, we might have the right motivation. God has given us each moment to place our trust in Him and His plans for us. He gives us a free will to make decisions, but He ultimately knows the plans He has already ordained.

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Luke 21:25-26