This morning I noticed a neatly written list on our daughter’s kitchen counter.
She: “I’ve made our evac (evacuation) list. I’ll just follow my list so I won’t have to think when I’m under pressure to get out.”
Me: “Could you send that to me? I need to prepare, too.”
A chill ran down my spine. Dark memories of the last forest fire tumbled around in my head. Images of the hellish red sky that hung over her house, the burning ember on her porch, the fight to get their animals loaded in the panic, the worry over equipment left behind, and the days of worry about whether they still had a home as they waited with relatives while volunteer firefighting teams fought valiantly and successfully to save the homes of their community. Then the mental pictures shifted to our own evacuation- simpler because we didn’t have large animals, but still nerve-racking. We had taken refuge in a son’s home only to receive an evacuation notification there, too. In God’s mercy, all three of our homes were not consumed, although her’s was smoke damaged.

The busyness of the day pushed aside those vivid memories until the quiet of the evening when I went out to water my flower gardens. A little sparrow usually visits, and our dogs hang out alternately watching me and then the sparrow. (His name is Stripey Head.) Peaceful scene, right? But tonight, again my thoughts drifted to the fact that these gardens and our house are fragile this time of year. Yes, it’s wildfire season again. It’s disturbing to think that everything I see may go up in flames. But it’s a call to honest evaluation. After all, on the last day of history, everything will burn. All our human efforts, accomplishments, victories, as well as our failures, and even our destructions, will all be destroyed together.

So should I quit doing anything because it may all go up in smoke? Well, there are some things I do need to quit doing. Things that ultimately don’t matter. Or worse, things that harm- bitter attitudes, comparisons, fear, gossip, pride. But there are other things I need to double down on. Things that won’t burn. Things that will go on into eternity. Like relationships, serving my family and others out of obedience to Jesus, time spent getting to know God better, and using my resources for the Kingdom of God.

We know from the Bible that God had to wipe the slate clean by the great flood. Of all the families on earth, there was only one family who acknowledged him. That’s really bad statistics! So let’s not be too discouraged about our country. At least there is more than one family who loves God! But at the end of history, God will wipe the slate clean and then burn the slate. He will destroy all that sin has ruined and remake everything- even the stars- for his redeemed children to enjoy forever. What a hope to look forward to! A New Heaven and a New Earth unmarred by evil!

“(Scoffers)will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment when ungodly people will be destroyed. . . .

The Lord is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.”
2 Peter 3:4-7, 9-15

God’s involvement in history, past, present, and future is plain to see. But some of God’s plans were hidden until the perfect time to reveal them. Deep secrets, God’s thoughts, mystery, hidden plan are terms the Scripture uses to describe God’s plan to save people. These secrets, mysteries, and hidden plans were hinted at from the time of our first parents but only became clear when Jesus came. After that, the Holy Spirit used certain people to announce it to everyone. Some do trust Jesus and receive God’s salvation. And all along the angels have been watching and trying to understand. (Apparently, God’s salvation is only for humans, not angels.)

“. . .The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.  This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Messiah within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Messiah’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.” 1 Peter 1:8-12

“the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. . . . But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit . . . so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 10-12

C.S. Lewis put this idea into a children’s story where Jesus takes the form of a great Lion who stood against evil embodied as a witch. Here are the Lion’s words after his own willing death and coming back to life:
“It means,” said Aslan, “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, [God’s justice] there is a magic deeper still [grace] which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, in the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table [the Law] would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.” The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe