The Earth Is Groaning... and Perhaps So Are You

Dear brothers and sisters,

Lately I've found myself having conversations with other believers that all seem to end in the same place.

"We're tired."

Not simply physically tired, although many of us certainly are. It's a deeper weariness. A sense that the world no longer feels familiar. Almost as if every time one crisis begins to settle, another rises in its place. Wars. Economic uncertainty. Natural disasters. Disease outbreaks. Moral confusion. Division. Violence. Technologies advancing at breathtaking speed. A constant stream of headlines that seem to leave our hearts carrying a weight we were never meant to bear.

Of course, evil has existed since the fall of mankind. Scripture has never hidden that reality. Sin entered the world, and with it came suffering, death, decay, and every form of brokenness.

But many believers have quietly noticed something else.

The pace seems to be increasing.

It feels as though the contractions are drawing closer together.

Jesus Himself spoke of these things.

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matthew 24:7-8)

Birth pains don't remain evenly spaced. They increase in both frequency and intensity as the moment of birth approaches.

Perhaps that is why so many followers of Christ have struggled to find words for what they've been feeling.

It's not simply anxiety.

It's not simply exhaustion.

It's homesickness.

Scripture tells us that all creation is groaning.

"For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." (Romans 8:22)

The earth itself longs for its rightful King.

Creation remembers Eden.

It awaits restoration.

And those who belong to Christ feel this groaning as well.

Paul continues by saying that not only creation, but we ourselves groan inwardly as we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23).

Perhaps that's why this world feels less and less like home.

As darkness increases, our affection for temporary things begins to loosen. The comforts that once satisfied don't satisfy quite the same way anymore. Success, possessions, recognition, and worldly security lose some of their shine because the Spirit continually reminds us that we were created for something infinitely greater.

We were never meant to build our forever home here.

We are citizens of another Kingdom.

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)

I sometimes wonder if this growing ache is one of God's mercies.

Not because He delights in suffering, but because He lovingly loosens our grip on a world that is passing away and turns our eyes toward the One who is coming.

The counterfeit kingdoms of this world continue to rise.

Men promise peace apart from God.

They promise security, prosperity, identity, and salvation through human effort.

But every counterfeit kingdom eventually reveals its foundation.

Only one Kingdom cannot be shaken.

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken." (Hebrews 12:28)

If you've found yourself quietly whispering, "Lord, I just want to be home," you are not alone.

That longing isn't necessarily escapism.

It's the language of pilgrims.

It's the cry of those who know they belong somewhere else.

It's the prayer that has echoed through the Church for nearly two thousand years.

"Come, Lord Jesus."

(Revelation 22:20)

Until that glorious day arrives, we continue to occupy faithfully.

We love our neighbors.

We raise our families.

We steward what God has entrusted to us.

We share the Gospel.

We care for the hurting.

We remain watchful, but not fearful.

Hopeful, not hopeless.

Because our confidence has never rested in the stability of this world.

Our confidence rests in the return of its rightful King.

So if you've felt unusually weary lately...

If you've struggled to explain why your heart seems to ache for something you cannot yet see...

If you've found yourself looking toward heaven a little more often...

Take heart.

You are not alone.

Creation is groaning.

The Church is waiting.

And one day soon, whether in our lifetime or another generation's, faith will become sight.

Until then, may we encourage one another all the more as we see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:25).

Even so,

Come, Lord Jesus.

Love, Me