One day a little boy asked his older sister, “Can anybody really see God?” Slightly annoyed by what she felt was a silly question, the sister answered, “Of course not. God is so far up in heaven that nobody can see him.”

After some time had passed, the boy got the question on his mind again and asked his mother, “Mom, can anybody really see God?” The mother, who was a devout Christian who understood that God the Holy Spirit indwells Christians, replied, “No, not really. God is a Spirit, and He dwells in the hearts of those of us who know Jesus as Savior. But we can’t really see Him.”

Then one afternoon the boy went fishing with his saintly old grandfather. At the end of the day, as the sunset began to make for a breathtakingly picturesque scene across the sky, the old man put down his fishing pole in order to sit and enjoy the view. As the grandfather’s eyes danced with delight, the boy asked his familiar question, “Grandpa, can anybody really see God?” Without ever taking his eyes off the sunset, the old man said, “Son, it’s getting so I can’t see anything else.”

Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s just that I’m getting older, or maybe it’s just that the world keeps getting weirder and more ungodly, but I have to say that life here on earth is looking increasingly worse to me. I love my wife. I love my two sons. We have a nice home. We keep our bills paid. We’re in reasonably good health. I have a good ministry in terms of pastoring, blogging, and doing a radio ministry. Honestly, any complaints I have about my life seem petty in light of all the blessings that God has bestowed upon me. But still, despite all the joy and happiness that I have, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t catch myself longing for heaven more and more with each passing year.

And like that grandfather in that story, I’m beginning to see God in everything that is going on. I’ve studied Bible prophecy for many years now, and I can confidently say that what we are seeing on the news these days all matches up nicely with what the Bible teaches about coming events. It’s not like the Bible’s storyline is running east while current events are running west. No, all those prophecies that once seemed so unbelievable and far-fetched — technology that links the world together, a cashless society, a special mark that can allow for buying and selling, etc. — now seem shockingly real, don’t they? As Adrian Rogers used to say, “It’s getting gloriously dark.” I myself can see God in all of it. Tell me, can you?