For some of us there have been many years of patiently bearing our cross behind Jesus. As we near the end of our pilgrimage He becomes ever more real and present. We cannot see what is ahead as clearly as we would prefer, but we have enough intimations of what it will be like to keep us going. There is a joy before us that makes it possible for us to bear our cross.

We know by faith that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And so we keep on plugging ahead, realizing that what we desire in our heart cannot be found in the present life.

God knows those who are His, and they have been commanded to depart from sin and lawlessness. They are as arrows hidden in His quiver, waiting for the attack upon the enemy.

There is an astounding amount of wickedness being practiced in the day in which we are living, at least in America. Abominations that have taken place each day are described in the newspaper. We scarcely can comprehend the depths of depravity to which people are falling, and yet we can say in our heart "There but for the grace of God go I."

There is no question that we are approaching days of moral depravity, social uproar, and possibly economic woes and even war. However, we are not ready to have our orderly existence disturbed. The American people are accustomed to supermarkets with well-stocked shelves. Most people have at least something to eat each day and a place to keep warm.

If real trouble does come to our land we shall see widespread crime and much selfishness as our spoiled citizens seek to keep from being denied what they want or need, even if they have to harm other folks in order to be satisfied themselves. We are not used to being deprived of the necessities of life.

The nation will be in dire need of people who can stand in confidence and reveal the faithfulness of God, who understand that death will bring those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus into a much better world.

Only the Christian people have a solid foundation on which to rest. Only the Christian people are the light of the world, and if they are all taken up with their own concerns the rest of the Americans will have no place to turn for help. The Evangelical ministry must begin to warn the believers of what is ahead and prepare them not only to survive themselves but to be aware of the wealth of spiritual provision they can access in order to help the frightened people around them.

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, (Nahum 1:7—NIV) (from The Ninety-first Psalm)