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Labor Pains

JodiSeptember 6, 2021

I recently had the great joy of becoming a grandmother for the first time. I also had the amazing experience of sitting with my daughter for several hours as she bravely journeyed through early labor into active labor. Her strength and control amazed me and caused me to love her all the more. She had prepared for this day, reading and watching videos and educating herself on how the process would go. When the time came, she was ready and knew just what to do as the contractions progressed throughout the day. My daughter hasn’t always been the best with pain, but in this situation, she exuded confidence and acceptance of the process. I had always been induced and skipped this part with my own children so needless to say, I was in awe. When she got to the point where the pain was unbearable, she knew it was time to go the hospital. From there, labor progressed as expected until several hours later she gave birth to a beautiful girl.

As I have thought about that day, I have realized that this was such a perfectly timed reminder of the days in which we are currently living. While none of us knows the day or the hour that Jesus will return for his bride, the events taking place every day tell us that the birth pains have begun. I am not yet sure if we are in what would be called early labor or active labor, but things are definitely progressing. In the labor and delivery world, the definition of true labor is consistent contractions that cause progression in dilation. Once labor truly begins, it does not stop. There are breaks in between contractions were the pain lets up and it almost seems like everything is ok- until the next contraction begins. As active labor moves closer into the transition phase, it feels like there is hardly a break at all in between contractions. With each day that goes by, we read and hear about events foretold in the Bible that indicate we are in the last days. We are personally experiencing Christian persecution like never before that seems to be intensifying by the minute. The entire Christian underground church was recently martyred in Afghanistan. Christians in this country are being attacked daily on many platforms and I believe this will get worse.

What my daughter showed me is that when we are prepared, we don’t have to be afraid. We can walk through these days as we feel the pain of the destruction of what we have always known to be true and the squeeze of losing freedoms while seeing a push toward a one world government and mark of the beast system and feel more confidence than ever before that the Word of God is absolutely true. Because of this, we can have peace knowing that when the time comes, just as my daughter left for the hospital, Jesus will come and remove us from world and give us a “spiritual epidural” – allowing us to have complete relief of pain and suffering as instead we partake in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb rather than the pain and suffering that will continue to intensify on the earth. Just an in childbirth, we know that there is an endpoint for the pain. We know help is coming. Matthew 24 outlines what to expect:

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.    

We must stand firm until Jesus returns my friend. We must guard our hearts, our minds and our souls from the wiles of the enemy who is becoming more aggressive in his attacks because he knows his time is short. As we turn to the word of God and pray daily for His wisdom and protection, He will give us everything we need to persevere until that day. Maranatha ❤