“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)

As we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension in the midst of COVID, we need to be reminded that the Lord Jesus has promised to come back and establish his Kingdom on earth forever. What we are experiencing is the result of sin, evil and Satan all of which wreak havoc on the faithful and unbelievers alike.

While we endure, we cling by faith to this great promise that Jesus made that He will return to bring us into the eternal joy that we will share with Him in heaven. We need to know and cling to this truth. We also need to share it with those who do not have faith, who do not know who the real Jesus is. They endure the same violence, cruelty, and suffering as we yet without the hope we have. We are most distressed when we are suffering or when we have to watch loved ones and friends in the midst of serious pain and critical illness. Such trials test the very foundation of our faith in Jesus. “Lord do you really know what you are doing? What purpose does such suffering serve? Why have you allowed this to happen?” I am sure that even the most faithful of us have asked these questions at one time or another.

The world needs the help of Jesus to take these evils away. We all need Jesus. If all the world had faith in Him there would be peace, no wars, no murder, no fighting. One day this will happen. Jesus will return and we will be with Him for eternity. Then we will no pain, sickness, or sorrow. But for now we must live as His disciples in this wicked world. We have been commissioned to establish His kingdom on earth. It is not given to us to know the specific answers, the specific reasons as to why life is the way it is. It is enough to know that we are in the Father’s hands in all situations. Therefore, we place our trust in Him who loved us enough to send His Son to die and rise for us.