Remember the story about “Chicken Little”? When one small acorn fell on his head, he immediately assumed that “the sky was falling” and that he was the one who should go to warn the king of the imminent disaster. On his way to the palace, he warns his many friends – Goosey Poosey, Cocky Locky, and several others, that there was soon going to be a major calamity. His feelings of despair and desperation were enormously contagious even though there were really no valid reasons for any of them to give up hope for survival. Had any of those friends been able to stand back and evaluate the situation, perhaps all of them could have regained their equilibrium and realized that their friend’s hopelessness was not based on reality.
In some ways, the big world we live in today is similar to the small world of those feathered friends. We listen to the news media, grow discontent with our national and local politics, and think about the tragic needs of people around the world. The feeling of hopelessness and despondency can easily creep into our minds and hearts. There is a certain satisfaction that comes to some people to create the idea that “things are only going to get worse”. While it is true that in the end times, the Bible does indicate that there will be enormous problems around the globe, it also makes it very clear that anyone who has put his/her faith in Jesus will always see these catastrophic conditions in light of eternity. The difference that makes in how a believer thinks and talks and lives can be an amazing contrast to those who have no awareness of the promises that God has made to those who have put their trust in Him.
It is so easy to look at our present circumstances, the unexpected turns of events that we face, and the disappointments that come in life and find ourselves responding as if these things were a surprise to God, as well. When in reality, He is the One that invites us to go quickly to Him, so that He can remind us of His truth, His perspective and His promises to us. He is the One that offers to us the constant and unchangeable gift of HOPE – the confident expectation that He will provide everything you need in this life and is preparing a place for you so that you can be with Him for all eternity. Those two things are enough to keep you from becoming like Chicken Little!
