Do You Want to Thrive in These Last Days? God’s Word Is the Solution

Posted on Jan 03, 2023 Topic : Men's Christian Living, Prophecy, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Ron Rhodes

There is no denying that prophecy speaks of hard times ahead for the inhabitants of this tiny planet. Christians will miss the worst of it because they will be raptured before the tribulation period. But even the events transpiring in the world today can be highly distressing.

That is why it’s good advice for Christians to daily immerse their minds in the comforting truths of God’s Word. Put another way, we ought to stockpile our minds with God’s thoughts.

I like to remind Christians of the importance and relevance of the Bible:

The Bible is much like a manufacturer’s handbook that instructs us how to operate our lives.
The Bible is like a pair of glasses for nearsighted eyes. Without the glasses, we do not see clearly. We see only a blurred reality. But with them, everything comes into clear focus. We see things as they really are.
The Bible is like a lamp. It sheds light on our path and helps us to see our way clearly. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
The Bible is like food (Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 2:2). It gives us spiritual nourishment. We become spiritually malnourished if we do not consistently feed on God’s Word.
The Bible is also like a love letter or Valentine’s card—from God to us (John 3:16‑17). It tells us how God’s great love for us motivated Him to send Jesus into the world to die for our sins so that we could be saved (Romans 5:8).
The Bible is like an anchor. Just as an anchor keeps a boat from floating away, so the Bible is an anchor for us. It prevents us from being swept away when a tidal wave of adversity comes our way.

During these end times, it is critically important for Christians to stay deeply rooted in God’s Word. I urge Christians to meditate daily on God’s Word. The Hebrew word for meditate carries the idea of “murmuring.” It pictures an individual reading and concentrating so intently on what he’s reading in Scripture that his lips move as he reads. Scripture affirms, “Blessed is the person…[whose] delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1‑2). Such Christian meditation fills our minds with godly wisdom and insight.

Following are some helpful verses to get you started on daily meditation:

Maintain Faith in God

Blessed are those who trust—Jeremiah 17:7
Faith grows from hearing God’s Word—Romans 10:17
Live by faith, not sight—2 Corinthians 5:7
Small faith yields big results—Luke 17:5‑6
Trust in the Lord with your whole heart—Proverbs 3:5

Keep Your Hope Firm

Maintain confident assurance—Hebrews 11:1
Hope in God—Psalms 39:7, 43:5; Lamentations 3:24
Hope in God’s Word—Romans 15:4
Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength—Isaiah 40:31

Stay Optimistic—No Matter What

Be confident—2 Corinthians 5:6‑7
Be joyful always—1 Thessalonians 5:16
Be strong and take heart—Psalm 31:24
Rejoice and be glad—Psalm 118:24

Do Not Worry

Prayer is an antidote to worry—Philippians 4:6‑7
Cast your anxiety upon God—1 Peter 5:7
Circumstances need not cause worry—Luke 8:22‑25

Great Christians of the past reveal the benefits of daily meditation on God’s Word. George Müller (1805–1898) said his morning priority was “to have my soul happy in the Lord…I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.” Once he did that, he was ready to face the day.

Muller reminds me of Thomas Watson (1620–1686)—Puritan preacher and author—who once said, “Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed…Let it not only inform you but inflame you.”

End-time Christians need to have hearts inflamed by the Word of God and souls happy in the Lord. We ought to be “Psalm 1 Christians”—Christians who are blessed because their delight is in the Word of God (Psalm 1:2).

I believe this is the best way to survive and thrive during these last days.