Let’s Work for God

Last flood story…maybe. LOL! The flood has taught me so much, and I just feel like I have to share. 

My Sunday School teacher recently taught a church lesson focusing on the rapture. He reminded us that “rapture” is nowhere in the Bible. The word may not be in the Bible, but its prophesy certainly is. To see this, let’s look at the etymology of the word rapture. (The ELA teacher in me loves teaching others about words!) The word part “rapt” is originally Latin and comes from raptus or rapere, which means to seize or carry off. The word part -ure is a suffix also derived from Latin heritage, meaning the act of or the result of. When placed together, rapture implies the act or result of seizing or carrying off. 

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 

My teacher, trying desperately to get a quiet group of folks talking, asked us what these verses looked like in our minds. After an uncomfortable pause, a few folks spoke about the specialty of the event, the Lord himself being present, the archangel’s voice, and a trumpet. Though, it reminded me of the recent lonely feeling I felt post-Helene. I told the class what it was like to go several days without seeing anyone. Even the animal life had vanished. I couldn’t even find a crow in an area known for its many bears, deer, and bald eagles. 

I know that I will go to heaven no matter what happens first, my death or Jesus’s return. And I haven’t doubted that since the day Jesus saved me. So, I’ve never thought about this scenario from any perspective other than a saved one until the flood. In a previous blog post, I mentioned how my mind thrashed back and forth between the idea of the rapture and an apocalypse during those lonely days. I knew it couldn’t be either of them because I was still here, and if it had been the rapture, then I would be gone. Yet I still had this eerie feeling I couldn’t describe. 

Some of my emotions drove me to seek the answers I found in Job, Ecclesiastes, and Hezzakia. But on that Sunday, I realized the emotion I was still struggling with was one of fear. Those few days of isolation gave me a perspective of what it will be like for those left behind. My comment to the class was that these verses Paul penned are definitely an encouragement for the believer in God, yet they’re also a warning for the nonbeliever. 

This event will happen, and some of our families, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances will be left behind. What will they do? There won’t be any wonderful neighbors coming with truck beds of supplies from miles away. Those folks will be hoarding the few supplies they have for their own selves. What will those left behind do? Who will help them? Will they feel the loneliness and isolation I felt? Will they experience the confusion and the search for answers? Will they be looking for a Biblical analysis of this prophesy, or will they accept worldly definitions of the situation? Most importantly, have they missed the last ride to Heaven, or can they still get on board with God? 

The Bible says nonbelievers won’t know this event is even happening. Yet they will, in a way, because they won’t be able to find those who have been raptured (carried away) with Jesus. 

Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” We are to do what is right, to love others, and to be humble before God. The Bible teaches that we should have a love and desire to tell others about God. Others include our family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and that random person we meet on the street whose random meeting has nothing to do with coincidence and everything to do with God’s purpose and plan. If we know God, then it’s our purpose to be his hands, feet, and voice to those who don’t know Him at all, as well as to those who barely “know” Him. 

Today, remember, there are no coincidences, only meetings that are arranged by God for divine purposes.     

On another note, how are your plans going for this year? Are you crushing your plans and moving mountains, or have you crashed and burned? You could be in my boat, which is the one that hasn’t left the dock yet. LOL! I spent the last week of December and the first week of January analyzing “how” and “where” I would work out. That should be worth at least a few burned calories. Right? Just when I thought I had decided on which one of the local gyms I wanted to join, my husband announced that he was going to purchase a system for us to use at home. He’s looking for that “perfect” used system for the “perfect” price. Well, it’s been almost a month, and I’m no closer to working out than I was during the last week of December. I’m still burning brain power to eliminate calories, though! 

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you aren’t crushing your goals. We’ll pick ourselves up together and try again. It’s a great lesson for life: don’t quit, back up, analyze, get a new plan, and try it again! 

Etymology Online. “Rapture.” Last modified January 10, 2025. https://www.etymonline.com/word/rapt.