What will last?

Today in my devotional, I read through Matthew 24 and here is what struck me the most out of this passage: "What will last?" I mean Jesus got my attention when He told His disciples that not one stone will be left on another. Reading Scripture always surprises me...I've read the Bible repeatedly from cover to cover multiple times (some portions more than others). Yet, for the first time, I see just how nothing, absolutely nothing will last for eternity...except one thing...

Jesus says a whole bunch of surprising things: There will be false Messiahs, massive wars on global scales, famines and earthquakes, and to top it off (as if that was not enough!)...Jesus says that is just the beginning of the birth pains. Then, Jesus goes on to say: There will be persecution (you will be persecuted to be exact) and death, there will hatred by all nations, there will be betrayal and turning away of faith, there will be false prophets, and if that was not bad enough...Jesus says because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty bleak and dark world...I'm not exactly sure if I could handle something like that if that happened today.

But here is the good news, the shimmer of hope! Are you ready for it?

Jesus is coming back. No one knows the day or the hour. No person. Not even the angels. (So please do not let anyone in heaven or earth literally fool you by saying He knows when Jesus is coming back). Only God the Father knows the exact time when God the Son will return.

Matthew 24:42-44 says,“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

The most comforting portion of this Scripture for me is found just a few verses earlier in Matthew 24, Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." No matter what happens...the words of Christ will remain. Ever wonder why some portions of the Bible are in red? Those are the words of Christ and for me there is comfort that I can trust in His promises. Even why heaven and earthy fall away...I can trust in the Lord. Is that not the most beautiful promise in all of HIStory?