Comfort in Times of Crisis

THE news these days is hardly comforting.  One person wrote:  "Current events are so grim that we often can't decide whether or not we dare watch the six o'clock news."  The world is awash with war, acts of terror, suffering, crime, and disease -evils that may soon affect us directly if they have not already.

The Bible accurately foretold this state of affairs.  In describing our time, Jesus said that there would be great wars, pestilences, food shortages and earthquakes.  (Luke 21:10, 11)  Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote about "critical times hard to deal with," when people would be fierce, lovers of money, and without love of goodness.  He called that period  "the last days." -2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Thus, in describing world conditions, the news bears some similarity to what the Bible foretold.  But there the similarity ends.  The Bible gives a perspective that the news does not.  Through God's inspired Word, we can come to understand not only why there is so much evil but also what the future will be.

Next time: How God Views Wickedness

The Watchtower, 2002