With so many terrible things happening these days, I'm afraid that the end of the world may be near. Can you help me?

Threatening world events should not be a source of anxiety to true believers who are trusting in Christ as their personal Savior. We who know the Lord are looking forward to His soon return, and we are assured that our future is in His hands.

Perhaps you do not feel this assurance. The key is to realize that God made us so we could have a personal relationship with Him. This relationship gives us peace. The Bible says, "He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord" (Isaiah 26:3, TLB). No matter the troubles in the world, you can have peace with God.

The Scriptures give us many promises to keep us in God's perfect peace when the world is shaking with fear. We are to "watch and pray," but we are not to have an unwholesome fear, which is equivalent to doubting God's Word. Jude 24 describes God as "Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy." In Ephesians 6:13 we read, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

It is important that we make our relationship with Christ a priority, that we faithfully serve Him in consistent Christian living, and that we eagerly look forward to His coming again. Some relevant Bible passages we encourage you to read are Matthew 24:42; Luke 21:36; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:11-15; 1 Peter 4:7; and 2 Peter 3:9-18. May God bless you as you trust in Him.