I have a
friend who reads the last chapter first when she starts a new thriller. “Takes
the anxiety out of reading,” she claims. So with Christians: Because we know
the end of the story, we can be centers of peace in the midst of utter chaos,
calm in the face of disaster.
The
apostle Paul calls this attitude “moderation” in Philippians 4:5 (kjv). It’s a
term that implies “peace under pressure.” It refers to the calm and deliberate
strength with which we meet the disquieting circumstances of our days. Kingdoms
may fall, friends may falter, churches may fold, oceans may rise, and mountains
may crumble, but we can be at peace.
How do we
maintain such composure? By remembering that “the Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5);
He is near. Our Lord is standing just outside the door ready to burst through
and turn everything that’s wrong right-side up. Then this world and all its
troubles will become the kingdom of our Lord, and “the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab.
2:14).
Jesus said, “Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20). Today could be the day! It’s the very last thing He said in the very last chapter of His book.
