Many people seem to be troubled by the thought that some day the earth will be destroyed. Every few years someone predicts that the world will end on such and such a date, and people start to panic. They do not know what will happen to them after death and they have no hope. They have no assurance.
The Bible teaches us that one day not only the earth, but all of creation will be destroyed (Hebrews 12:27, 2 Peter 3:10). However, the followers of Christ need not fear that day because God has promised them a new home (2 Peter 3:13).
Not only are people anxious about the end of the world, they fear that the earth may not be able to sustain life even before it ends. They worry that we will run out of natural resources. They are concerned that climate changes will make large portions of the earth uninhabitable. They are afraid that volcanoes, tsunamis or a thousand other things will make life impossible.
While it is true that natural or man-made disasters do make life difficult or impossible at some times, in some areas, we really don’t need to worry about the future. After God destroyed all animate life in a world-wide flood during the time of Noah, He made a promise. “…Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will never cease.” (Genesis 8:21-22 NIV)
God gave us rainbows as a reminder of the promise He made (Genesis 9:12-17). The next time you see a rainbow, remember God’s promise that, as long as this earth exists, the seasons and the time for planting and harvesting crops will never fail. Never again, will God destroy all animate life in a world-wide disaster while the earth remains.
Though rainbows reassure us that we do not need to worry about the cycles of nature, they should also remind us that God’s promise is limited. It is in force only as long as the earth endures. One day the earth will be destroyed. The question is: “Can we face that day with confidence? Does God’s promise of a permanent home in a new earth apply to us?” God’s promise of a new home only applies to those who follow Christ. Do you follow Him?