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[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Evidence of the Loneliness Epidemic

There’s a new epidemic affecting our world today. And I’m not talking about a new variant of COVID-19. In fact, it’s not a virus or a disease at all. It’s not spread through coughing or sneezing, and lockdowns surely won’t help. So what is it? And how are you affected by it?

It is the epidemic of loneliness. Now, you might think, “What are you talking about? That’s not an epidemic. That’s what all of us experience from time to time.”

But this is different. I’m talking about a chronic sense of isolation and disconnection from others, from any sort of community, from anything meaningful in life.

And why wouldn’t millions feel empty and alone in our world today? After all, generations have been taught there’s no purpose to life and we are the products of random chance.

Regarding Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, the late science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke once wrote:

Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying Arthur C. Clarke Quotes (Author of 2001).

More recently, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins wrote in River Out of Eden:

The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference (River Out of Eden, p. 133, 1995, Richard Dawkins).

Maybe there’s a reason why so many today feel chronically alone. Maybe we as society have absorbed the fables of evolution. And they are profoundly affecting how we think about our place in the Universe, in society, and even in our own homes.

You might be one of millions today suffering from a sense of isolation and loneliness.

Now, are we overstating this? After all, an epidemic is an out-of-control health crisis where people get sick and die—and in large numbers. Of course, everybody feels lonely from time to time. Is the term “epidemic of loneliness” an exaggeration? This is the point of an article from January 24, 2025 in The Atlantic entitled “The Myth of a Loneliness Epidemic.” The author says:

No one would blame you for thinking that we’re in the midst of an unprecedented global loneliness emergency. The United Kingdom and Japan have named “loneliness ministers” to tackle the problem. In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a pressing public-health concern, and then-President Joe Biden’s surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory warning about an “epidemic of loneliness.” American commentators have painted a bleak portrait of a nation collapsing into ever more distant and despairing silos. And polls do suggest that a lot of people are lonely—some of the time, at least.

But is it an epidemic? The author explains that it’s difficult to quantify something like loneliness, especially when trying to compare it to historical trends. People’s expectations of relationships may be different today than they were a generation or two ago. That’s all true.

So is this a fad? Is it a trendy new band wagon to jump on? Or is there really something to it?

Whatever it is, some governments are taking it very seriously.

As the article mentions, the government of Great Britain commissioned one of its Ministers of Parliament with the task of tackling the growing problem of loneliness and social isolation in British society. And believe it or not, the British government has since spent over 80 million pounds studying and combating this problem (“Britain is in a loneliness epidemic—and young people are at the heart of it,” telegraph.co.uk, February 29, 2024).

When we think of loneliness as a social ill, it’s not surprising that the elderly would come to mind. After all, older people often have to face the challenge of losing a mate and living alone. They oftentimes struggle with challenging health issues. Isolation and loneliness only make it worse. Family members may be hundreds of miles away. Or they may have no contact with family members at all.

Increase of “Gray Divorce” Rates

Some may divorce, even later in life.

The American Association of Retired Persons website reports that there has been a dramatic increase in so-called “gray divorces.” Notice:

A new analysis of divorce data from 1990 to 2021 released in July by Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research found that divorce rates for those age 45 and over rose during that period… The most significant increase in divorce rates was among people 65 and older: The rate tripled from 1990 to 2021. At these older ages, rates of divorce among women nearly quadrupled… [Older] adults ”now face record high divorce rates”…. (“Divorce Skyrocketing Among Aging Boomers,” aarp.org, September 6, 2023).

So the rise in divorces is also a driving force in more feelings of isolation and disconnection among seniors today.

But even under the best of circumstances, with regular contact from loving family and friends, aging is challenging. But it’s not just the elderly who suffer from being isolated.

In 2021, the Japanese government instituted a ministry of loneliness, like Great Britain. Their specific aim was to address the growing suicide rate among the elderly, working women, part-time workers, and the unemployed. The COVID-19 pandemic had also made social isolation an even worse problem. Makoto Watanabe is a communications professor at Hokkaido Bunkyo University. In an article for Deutsche Welle, he explained the problem of men being marginalized because of the struggling economy.

There is a “lost generation” of thousands of 40- and 50-something men, primarily, who could not get a good job when they left school because the economy was bad and they have just stayed at home ever since. The number of single households and “hikikomori”—social recluses —has been increasing rapidly for many years…. (“Japan: ‘Minister of loneliness’ tackles mental health crisis,” dw.com, April 23, 2021).

So there are economic forces driving the loneliness trend. Unemployment and lingering effects of the COVID pandemic play a part. And it’s not just in the Western world.

But perhaps more alarming yet is the number of young adults experiencing chronic loneliness at even higher rates than the elderly. An NBC News survey reported this:

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. adults under age 30 say they feel lonely or isolated from those around them all of the time or most of the time. Similarly, 26% of the next oldest generation, or those ages 30-44, say they feel lonely or isolated all or most of the time.
But only 15% of survey respondents who are members of Generation X, or those who are 45 to 64 years old, said they felt they were lonely or isolated most or all of the time, and only 8% of those ages 65 and older said the same (“Poll: Young Americans are more likely to feel lonely, anxious about the future,” nbcnews.com, April 28, 2025).

A similar article in the Telegraph told the same story in the United Kingdom. Published on February 29, 2024, it was entitled, “Britain is in a loneliness epidemic—and young people are at the heart of it.”

So there does seem to be something happening. Ironically, it’s in a time with ever-increasing connection through the Internet and smartphones. Loneliness seems to be increasing across the board.

Bible Verses About Loneliness: Its Causes

But why is it happening?

Many experts give opinions about why the loneliness epidemic is growing. They’ll cite reasons such as people spending more time online; less contact person-to-person; the fact that it’s a more mobile society; the pandemic.

And that’s all true—those certainly have contributed to the epidemic of loneliness. But one source most experts overlook is the Bible. And yet, the Bible is the foundation of understanding. It’s the first place we should look when seeking to discern the answers to the big questions of life. And it’s where we should turn when we’re grappling with why the world is the way it is.

The Love of Many Will Grow Cold | Matthew 24:12

Notice an interesting statement Jesus made in Matthew 24:10-12, speaking of the conditions at the end of the age.

“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another… And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:10,12).

Is that describing our world today? We are shocked to see the lack of empathy in some people today, in our news reports. Well, Jesus predicted the world of the last days would be one in which “love will grow cold.” Could we be witnessing the beginning stages of that breakdown of society now?

In the Last Days Perilous Times Will Come | 2 Timothy 3

Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.

This word “perilous” is also translated “times of stress.” Hard times were predicted to come just before Christ’s return. And then Paul described some of the specifics of why those times would be hard. In 2 Timothy 3:2-3, we read:

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving.

Unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving? That sounds like a society where people are increasingly polarized and hateful to each other. That’s describing our world today.

People Don’t Want to Remember God | Romans 1:28

It’s no coincidence that these conditions increase in a world where many have no respect for the Bible or God. Notice what the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Romans in Romans 1:28.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.

When many in society cast aside a real understanding of God and respect for His word, bad things happen. And we’re witnessing that in our world today. In Romans 1:29-31, he explains they would be:

Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful.

This is describing the breakdown of a well-connected, fully-functioning society. It’s describing a society where people don’t trust their leaders, don’t trust the media, don’t even trust members of their own family.

And why wouldn’t our society be on this path? Since the 1800s, evolutionary theory—which proposes a meaningless and purposeless existence—has been pushed as a fact.

Let me quote from Evangelist and Tomorrow’s World writer Douglas Winnail, writing in today’s offer, The Real God: Proofs and Promises. He says on page 6:

Over the last two centuries, belief in God has come under attack by many intellectuals in the West…. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche asserted that God is merely a thought. Neurologist Sigmund Freud termed belief in God a mental disorder…. H. L. Mencken asserted, “God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable.” In the 1960s, prominent theologians echoed Nietzsche’s earlier sentiments and actually questioned whether God was dead. Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins asserted, in his 2006 book The God Delusion, that there is no evidence to support religion and that better educated people today admit this. He claims that “only the scientifically illiterate” believe in a Creator God (p. 6).

Again, is it a surprise that we as a society are drifting? That many of us are increasingly lonely and feel no connection to others and no purpose in life? After all, for generations, our world has been absorbing the message that our lives are meaningless. On page 8, he observes:

Evolutionists’ purposeless universe has proven to be a psychologically empty and depressing concept (p. 8).

It’s no wonder that more and more of us today are depressed and discouraged. Our world preaches to us that we have no purpose of being here at all.

But the Bible predicted this. In it, God prophesied a spiritually bankrupt society at the time of the end. That is what we’re witnessing day by day. It’s not surprising, against this backdrop, that we also have an epidemic of loneliness and despair.

Bible Verses About Loneliness: Its Solutions

Marriage and the family truly is a basic building block of a strong society. In Genesis 2 we read of the first marriage.

Marriage: It Is Not Good for Man to Be Alone | Genesis 2:18

After God created Adam, notice what He said (Genesis 2:18).

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him…” And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Think about that. When God made Adam, He also provided companionship. And that was through the institution of marriage.

Be Faithful: God Hates Divorce | Malachi 2:16

And that’s why God says He hates divorce. We read that in Malachi 2:16.

For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence.

Divorce tears apart the bonds that give families and communities their strength. In a crisis of loneliness in our world today, why aren’t more leaders advocating for stronger marriages and families? Why aren’t more social commentators calling for abstinence before marriage and a lifelong marriage covenant?

That would be a good first step. But that’s not all. Actually, the covenant between a man and wife is secondary to a spiritual marriage covenant God wants us to make with Him.

Love the Lord Your God with All Your Heart | Matthew 22:37

When a lawyer questioned Jesus about the greatest commandment, He gave a very interesting answer. He said yes, love others, love your neighbor as yourself, that includes your wife or your husband. But of even more importance, love God. It’s found in Matthew 22:37-38.

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

We are to have a close and intimate relationship with God. And yet, in our modern society, many have let God be pushed into a corner. Why are we surprised at the epidemic of loneliness, when we push God out of our lives?

When Jesus was in the worst trial of His life, about to be arrested, tried and executed, He gave some final encouragement to His disciples. He knew that in their weakness they would desert Him in His hour of need. And yet, in His mercy and kindness, He didn’t harangue them. Instead, He explained where He placed His trust. Notice in John 16:32.

“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

Who did Jesus look to, to sustain Him in His darkest hour? His Father in Heaven.

You see, His God—and our God—is not just a powerful Sovereign ruling over the Universe. Yes, He has power over the elements—the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the oceans, the great beasts of the earth and the waters, the powerful forces of nature, seen and unseen.

But He also is a loving Being who wants to have a relationship with His children. And we are His children. He created us. He wants to know us.

Can we begin to see just how foolish and reckless the evolutionary fables are? When so-called experts try to convince us we are living in a world where no one really cares? As if we are alone in the cold and heartless universe?

Again, Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist, said this, in the book River Out of Eden:

[N]ature is not cruel, only pitilessly indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous—indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose (p. 96).

What a sad, hopeless philosophy. We at Tomorrow’s World reject the notion that the universe is indifferent and lacking purpose, because we can have a personal relationship with the awesome, mighty God who rules that universe. And that changes everything.

And when we begin to have a close relationship with our Father, we’re never alone. He is always with us. In fact, Jesus also explained that in the same evening to His disciples. He was speaking to them about sending the Holy Spirit after His death and resurrection. He said this in John 14:15.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper… I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:15-18).

How to Overcome Loneliness

Are you struggling with loneliness? Do you feel hopeless and alone sometimes? Reach out to family members. Call or write to a friend. You need that contact. Even if it’s difficult at first, you need to reach out.

But more importantly, talk to your Father in Heaven. He loves you. He cares for you. He gave His Son for you. Yes, for the other 8 billion people on earth, too. But He also gave His Son for you. He loves you and cares about you, as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:7.

[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

And thank your elder brother, Jesus Christ. He died for you, because He loves you as well. And He wants to have a personal relationship with you. He explains that in Matthew 7:21-23.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you….’”

Now, think about this for a moment. What is Jesus saying? What does He want in us? Yes, we must obey Him. We must respond to Him. But because He loves us, He wants to get to know us, as we walk with Him every day of the rest of our lives.

In 2023, the United States Department of Health and Human Services published the publication, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” In it, the then-U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek (Vi vek) Murthy, offered this advice for combatting loneliness. Here is what he said:

Each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an untapped resource—a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They can help us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives. Answer that phone call from a friend. Make time to share a meal. Listen without the distraction of your phone. Perform an act of service. Express yourself authentically. The keys to human connection are simple, but extraordinarily powerful (“Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, 2023,” hhs.gov).

Great advice. The antidote for loneliness is to reach out and connect with others. But at the same time, there’s something profoundly missing in his advice. An acknowledgement that overcoming loneliness starts with a personal relationship with God. We are His children. And if we put our faith and trust in Him, He will never let us down, as it says in Hebrews 13:5.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Thank you for watching. If you found this video helpful, check out more of our content or hit subscribe to stay connected. And if you want a free study guide related to this topic, click the link. See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen?

The fourth of July is a much-loved American holiday, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but in the year 2025, it marked one of the greatest disasters in Texas history, as highlighted in this CBS News headline.

Texas flash floods hit residents and campers in a deluge “nobody saw” coming (CBS News, July 12, 2025).

The article went on to describe the disaster.

The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes (“Texas flash floods hit residents and campers in a deluge “nobody saw” coming. Here’s what to know”).

Texas Public Radio reported three weeks later.

At least 135 people have died following catastrophic July 4 floods in the Hill Country and Central Texas – including at least 71 adults and 37 children from the Guadalupe River floods. The number of people still missing in Kerr County has remained at two (“Live Updates: Number of missing in Kerr County drops to 2, at least 135 died in Texas floods,” August 4, 2025).

The July 4, 2025 flash flood along the Guadalupe River in Texas shocked the nation, but less than a year earlier Hurricane Helene hit the Southeastern United States in an even greater disaster. According to the National Hurricane Center’s final report:

Up to 30 inches of rain fell in the Southern Appalachians. That was both from Helene and a band of heavy rain well ahead of the storm as moist air was lifted over an old stationary front and by the mountains and foothills, themselves.… At least 63 stream and river gauges set all time record crests… [and] both the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers in Asheville, North Carolina, shattered their previous record crests from 1916. The U.S. Geological Survey mapped 2,015 landslides … primarily in western North Carolina. Half of those slides affected buildings, roads or rivers (“Most Shocking Things From Hurricane Helene’s Final Report,” July 8, 2025).

But the toll from Helene went far beyond record setting, streams and rivers flooding, financial losses, and landslides.

Citing reports from both government and media sources, the NHC [National Hurricane Center] found at least 176 people were killed in the U.S. during Helene’s flooding rain, high winds, storm surge or tornadoes. Another 71 people died after the storm was over due to such things as vehicle wrecks, medical emergencies and accidents during cleanup. Three other deaths associated with Helene were from unknown causes (ibid.).

The total loss of life was at least 250. In light of the Hurricane Helene and Guadalupe River tragedies, and so many more all around the world, it’s reasonable to ask if God is loving and all-powerful, why can’t He—or why doesn’t He—prevent natural disasters that take the lives of innocent people, especially children?

We Have Freedom of Choice—for Good and Evil

For the answer, we must go back to the beginning. The Bible tells us that our first parents were made in the image and likeness of God. God has a great purpose in mind for mankind, a purpose that few church-goers understand, even though the Bible is explicit about that purpose.

We read that man was placed in a beautiful garden filled with wonderful foods of all sorts. He was given a mind to think, to reason, to invent and innovate, to make decisions far above what any animal kind can do. But these decisions go beyond how to plan and construct. Mankind must make decisions on how to relate to others—in other words, moral decisions.

Adam and Eve were thus tested to see whether they would trust God’s judgment as to what is good and what is evil, or whether to strike out on their own and determine good and evil for themselves. They chose the latter and mankind has been doing the same ever since. Remember Frank Sinatra singing: “I Did it My Way”? How many relate to that! As a result, God said, in effect, if you want to “do it your way,” have at it. You have 6,000 years, but you’re on your own. Don’t expect Me to bail you out of every problem that comes along.

The Rain Falls on the Just and the Unjust | Matthew 5:45

However, despite our rebellion, God does care for all of His potential children as Jesus explained in Matthew 5:44–45.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He [that is God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44–45).

Yes, God gives life-sustaining rain even to the unjust. He has not left our environment totally to chance. But God does manipulate our weather from time to time. For example, God promised this to Israel in Deuteronomy 28, and I’ll begin in verse 1.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today… all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl (Deuteronomy 28:1–5).

In other words, weather conditions would be favorable to produce good crops. Can we not see that the God who created the entire universe can manipulate weather patterns for the good, that is, if we obey Him?

We All Suffer the Consequences of Sin

But He can also withhold the good if we despise Him and reject His rule over us, as seen later in this chapter.

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you (Deuteronomy 28:15).

Now notice some of these consequences of our disobedience in verses 23 and 24.

And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed (Deuteronomy 28:23–24).

We see that God makes it possible for the righteous and the unrighteous to survive on earth—giving sun and rain to produce food for man and beast. Yet, as we also see, He occasionally manipulates weather for His purposes. Why?

We know too well that every year there are many “so-called” natural disasters that strike randomly on Earth. These come in the form of hurricanes or cyclones, tornados, droughts and floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Terrible fires have struck southern Europe in recent years—from Spain to Greece. And wildfires are yearly events in Canada, California, and Australia.

One recent extreme heat and fire disaster occurred in Western Canada.

The 2021 BC heat wave suddenly pushed temperatures well past the previous record [set 84 years earlier] and into the upper 40s Celsius. Several weather stations across the southern BC interior repeatedly topped the long-standing national high. Kelowna, Kamloops, Ashcroft, Lytton and Lillooet all saw their temperature climb above 45 °C on one or more days from June 27 to 30, 2021. A new highest temperature for Canada was set at 49.6 °C (121.4 °F) recorded on June 29, 2021 at Lytton, BC. The next day a wildfire raged through Lytton, destroying most of the town (“Hottest Place in Canada”, CurrentResults.com, 2025).

The Canadian Broadcasting Company explained from coroner reports regarding the extreme 2021 British Columbia heatwave:

New figures released Monday said the deaths of 595 people between June 18 and Aug. 12 were related to the heat. The majority of those deaths—526—happened during the “heat dome” that created temperatures above 40 C from late June to early July. The service said 231 people died in a single day on June 29—nearly 10 people every hour (“595 people were killed by heat in B.C. this summer, new figures from coroner show,” CBC News, November 1, 2021).

No place on earth is totally safe and when natural disasters strike, property is damaged and lives are lost. Why?

God’s Plan: He’s Creating His Family

Why if God is love does He allow such tragedies? Is He not powerful enough to prevent them?

The answer is found in God’s great plan for man. Sadly, almost no one takes God at His word. Few believe the words of Scripture which tell us what He has in mind for us—what His grand purpose is. Yet it is stated plainly in His word.

Created in the Image of God | Genesis 1:27

Notice what He tells us at the very beginning—Genesis 1:26.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26–27).

How many read over these words and never ask what it means when it says that man is made in the image and likeness of God? There’s something remarkable about that statement. Of all the creatures God made, only man is made in His image and likeness. Why?

The same expression is found in Genesis 5:3.

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (Genesis 5:3).

If Adam’s offspring is made in his likeness and image, what does it mean when it says that man is made in God’s image and likeness? The answer is profound, and it is found in the word of God. When King David looked into the night sky, he marveled that the great God who created all things should be mindful of puny man (Psalm 8:3–6).

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:3–6).

Dear friends, does that thought—what is man?— ever cross your mind? What is God’s purpose for creating us? Why do we have such an exalted position on earth? The author of Hebrews quotes this passage from Psalm 8 and answers the question (Hebrews 2, beginning in verse 8).

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him…. For it was fitting for Him [that is: Christ], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying…. Here am I and the children whom God has given Me (Hebrews 2:8, 10–13).

Do you understand the clear implication of this? Can we begin to understand what God meant when He said:

Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26).

There’s another passage of scripture that I want to give you that confirms God’s purpose for us,

But I first want to give you a short reminder regarding today’s free offer. Yes, God has called us to a grand purpose far above what we can imagine. But mankind as a whole has rejected our Creator. And as with a spoiled child, God loves us enough to get our attention for our good. And nothing grabs our attention more than a natural disaster. Arrogance dissipates when the earth moves violently beneath our feet and the walls begin to crumble, or when the wind takes the roof off and our survival is questionable.

Romans 8:14–17:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:14–17).

Sons of God. Heirs of God. Joint heirs with Christ. Yes, there’s more to creating man in God’s likeness and image than you may have realized. Clearly, when we die God has something greater in mind than sending us off to eternal retirement in heaven or to a place of eternal punishment and suffering.

Suffering Teaches Why to Choose God’s Way | Romans 8:18

But let’s continue in verse 18.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself [note this] also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now (Romans 8:18–22).

God is calling human beings to be made in His image and likeness—not to be angels, but children of God. He’s given us every blessing that a loving Father can give, but we’ve rejected His rule over us. We’ve been ungrateful and disobedient children.

We go through life as though we don’t need His counsel and help—that is, until something goes wrong. When the wind blows, the earth quakes, the floods rise, and everything around us is taken away, we expect Him to come to our rescue. And then in the aftermath of the disaster, we don’t take responsibility for having built on a flood plain or on a sandy beach. No, we blame Him and call it an act of God.

But, as I ask in Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters:

Could God stop natural disasters? Could He give adequate warnings so people could get out of the way while He builds a new island or mountain? Could He direct the wind to take a course away from His children?… Cannot the God who created the universe and life on this planet protect us (p. 22)?

The answer should be obvious. So why doesn’t He do so now? Continuing in our resource:

We are so arrogant we conclude that it [Creation] all happened by [evolutionary] chance—so God is allowing us to live in a world of chance. The disasters that “time and chance” throw at us should get our attention (p. 22).

But do they?

While there are natural disasters of unbelievable magnitude on the horizon—explained in our free resource—there is also good news.

God Will Heal the Earth When Jesus Returns

One of the most beautiful passages of scripture is found in Isaiah 35, where God inspired the prophet to record in advance the time after the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Notice it in verse 1.

The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose (Isaiah 35:1).

Now, some have tried to apply this passage of the desert blossoming to the current state of Israel. Yes, the Jews have turned wasteland into productive farmland, but when we read the verses that follow, it’s evident that this is speaking of something far greater, when God will heal people who are afflicted by blindness and other disabilities. He will even change the nature of animals.

It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where each lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:2–10).

This is clearly not what we see today in the tiny, besieged state known as Israel.

No, there is coming a time of prosperity and peace on earth that goes far beyond what most people imagine. And it’s not for the Jews alone.

But this will not happen instantly. Mankind will actually fight against the returning Christ. When He defeats His enemies, He will command all nations to send representatives to Jerusalem to keep the biblically mandated Feast of Tabernacles. And when some nations first refuse, He will use the force of nature to get their attention, as explained in Zechariah 14:16–19.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16–19).

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