THE BIBLE PROMISES THE RETURN OF JESUS

BIBLE PASSAGE:
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river
Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the
way for the kings from the East.
(Revelation 16:12)

MEDITATION:
The disciples wanted to know about signs of the Lord’s return.
    Jesus left the temple and was walking away when
    His disciples came up to Him to call His attention
    to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” He
    asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be
    left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 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?”
    (Matthew 24:1-3)

All of us who have received God’s salvation are His disciples
and many of us are also curious about the signs which point
to the return of Jesus. Does that mean our faith is weak? No,
it means we believe He will return, and we want to realize the
urgency for us to serve Him by pointing others to Jesus. It is
a challenge and a blessing we have received, and God has given
us all we need to do what He’s called us to do.
    “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
      baptizing them in the name of the Father and
      of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
      them to obey everything I have commanded you.
      And surely I am with you always, to the very end
      of the age.”
      (Matthew 28:19-20)

When we actively read and meditate on God’s Word, we can see that
we are given signs that indicate the return of Jesus is getting nearer.
One of those signs is listed in Revelation where we are told that the
Euphrates river will dry up.

Look at these combined reports dated September 11, 2025….

The Euphrates River, once a flourishing emblem of life, now lies
on the brink of ecological disaster. With an ever-diminishing flow,
this once mighty river bears a stark warning: water scarcity is real
and knocking at our doors. No fabric of life in the region remains
untouched in a race against time. Join us as we navigate shifting
dunes to shed light on this looming catastrophe and seek solutions
in an era where every drop counts.

Rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall have already led to
decreased water flow, affecting agriculture, drinking water supply,
and animal husbandry in Syria and Iraq. Urgent action is needed
to address this issue and mitigate its impact on communities that
depend on this vital water source.

The Euphrates River system, a vital water source in Western Asia that
flows through Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, is facing an increasingly dire
situation. This once-glistening lifeline and ancient city that served a
population of about 60 million people is now experiencing depletion
and water scarcity at an alarming rate.

Imagine relying on a river for drinking water, crop irrigation,
hydroelectric power, and agriculture, only to witness it slowly
drying up. This devastating reality has become commonplace
for villages along the Euphrates River.

Syrian villages have witnessed a dramatic decrease in crop production,
with Syrian wheat production dropping by 75 percent since 2011. These
conditions have led to significant challenges in sustaining livelihoods
and have exacerbated tensions between neighboring countries sharing
the river’s resources.

To compound this already distressing situation, government policies in
both Syria and Turkey have done little to alleviate the struggle for water.
Accusations of Turkey withholding water from downstream Syria have
further strained relations between the two nations.

As a result, affected communities are left grappling with decreased access
to fresh water, resorting to expensive bottled water, and facing financial
difficulties in meeting their basic needs.

The depletion of the Euphrates River poses a threat not only to human
survival, but also to the delicate ecological balance of the region. It is
imperative that sustainable solutions are urgently sought.

The Euphrates River, once a lifeline for millions of people in Iraq, is
facing an alarming crisis as pollution levels rise while its water supply
dwindles. The river, which originates in Turkey and flows through
Syria before reaching Iraq, has been heavily impacted by human
activities upstream.

To give you an idea of the severity of this situation, imagine a farmer in
southern Iraq who depends on the Euphrates River for irrigating their
crops. In previous years, they could rely on a consistent water flow to
sustain their fields.

However, with reduced water availability due to declining water levels
due to upstream damming and increased domestic consumption within
Iraq, farmers now struggle to cultivate their land adequately. The crops
suffer from inadequate nourishment, leading to decreased yields and
financial difficulties for the farmer and their family. The consequences
of this crisis are far-reaching and affect various aspects of society and
the environment.

People struggle to access water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene,
leading to increased health risks. The water crisis also makes basic amenities
like electricity unreliable, further exacerbating the challenges Iraqis face in
these regions.

Depletion of water sources also directly affects agriculture, a vital sector
in Iraq’s economy. Farmers who rely on the Euphrates River for irrigation
face significant hardships, with reduced water availability hindering crop
production.

Decreased agricultural output threatens food security within the country
and increases dependence on imported goods. This burdens the national
economy and contributes to rising food prices, making basic sustenance
unaffordable for many vulnerable populations.

Consider a small-scale farmer who relies on his land for income to support
his family. With reduced water flow from the Euphrates River, his crops
suffer, leading to financial distress, debt increases, and potential movement
to other regions for survival. In turn, this creates a ripple effect within local
communities as livelihoods are destroyed, poverty deepens, and social tensions
rise.

The dire state of the Euphrates River has profoundly impacted agriculture
and the livelihoods of people who rely on its waters. Historically, this mighty
river has met 85 percent of Syria’s agricultural water demand, making it a
lifeline for farmers and herders in the region.

However, the consequences have been devastating, with the river facing
the threat of drying up, Syrian farmers and herders bear the brunt of
prolonged droughts and dwindling water supplies. The decline in water
levels has led to a significant drop in agricultural production, with Syria’s
wheat harvest plummeting by a staggering 75 percent since the outbreak
of conflict in 2011. This sharp decline has hit an already fragile agricultural
sector heavily reliant on the Euphrates to sustain crops and livestock.

Low water levels, lower-than-average rainfall amounts, and poor water
quality have catalyzed multiple crises, including famine and an ongoing
cholera outbreak since September 2022. The lack of clean water supply
has not only affected crop irrigation but also decreased drinking water
availability by 40 percent. As a result, rural populations dependent on
farming have faced dire circumstances, often leading to displacement
as they search for alternative means of survival.

This interconnectedness between agriculture and livelihoods extends
beyond individual hardships. It has severe implications for the country’s
economy and food security. The decline in agricultural production
exacerbates food shortages, leading to increased prices and limited
access to essential nutrients for vulnerable populations.

The world sees and reports on the potential ‘drying up’ of the
Euphrates River and its devastating impact on civilization. As
a result, they are striving to alert the world to join the efforts
to find ways to prevent it from ‘drying up’. However, when the
Bible tells us it will ‘dry up’, mankind will not be able to prevent
or overcome what God has planned.

Many of the promises in the Bible have already been fulfilled, and
only a few are left unfulfilled. The drying up of the Euphrates River
is one of the remaining promises, and we can see that it is rapidly
being fulfilled (possibly much sooner than people realize).

ACTION:
What does that mean for mankind? It means that those who have
not surrendered their lives to the Lord are running out of time. It
also means that those who belong to the Lord’s family need to feel
a greater urgency to discover their spiritual gift (the one they were
given when they received salvation from the Lord), and actively look
for opportunities to use it as a way of pointing others to Jesus.

It means that believers who have drifted away from the Lord, need to
humble themselves and urgently return to Him. It means that any of
God’s commands that we have not obeyed should be included in our
own lifestyles. Those things we planned to do ‘someday’ need to happen
‘today’.

If we planned to start obeying God’s command to tithe ‘one day’, we
need to begin tithing right now. If we planned to discover and use our
spiritual gift someday, we need to diligently find our spiritual gift ‘today’
and use it to serve the Lord in the way He planned for us before we were
born. Look at these words from the Lord to Jeremiah:
    The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
    “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
      before you were born I set you apart;
      I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
    (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

God has a purpose for everyone who belongs to Him:
    for it is God who works in you to will and
    to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
    (Philippians 2:13)

God’s plan is to work through us in fulfilling His purposes:
    And we know that in all things God works for
    the good of those who love him, who have been
    called according to his purpose.
    (Romans 8:28-29)

    for it is God who works in you to will and
    to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
    (Romans 2:13)

If you are one of the thousands who have been reading the devotionals
the Lord has given me to distribute since 2013, you have probably seen
these two devotionals (links listed below), but maybe now would be a
good time to re-read them. If you have never seen the devotionals, then
pray for the Lord to speak to you as you read what He wants to tell us
in ‘His’ devotionals.

Why would I encourage you to read these devotionals? Do I receive
financial benefits when you read them. No, they are free for all to
read. In 2013, God called me to use the spiritual gift He gave me
(at salvation) to distribute what He would provide.

My benefit is in knowing that He is changing lives (raising people from
death to life) with ‘His’ devotionals, that I am serving Him in the way
He called me to serve, and that I get to read ‘His’ devotionals before
distributing them for others to read, as He intended.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for procrastinating the things I
need to be doing now. When I read Your Word and see the signs
around me, it appears Jesus may could return soon and I want
to be where You want me to be, and who You created me to be
when He fulfills this promise. Give me a desire and determination
to obey all Your commands and to serve where in the way You have
created me to serve. Convict me of the seriousness and the eternal
consequences of making the choices You want me to make. I want
to be pleasing to You and to fulfill Your purpose in me to point others
to Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus, for how You suffered for me in
a most painful and humiliating way so I could eat at Your table one day.
I love You Lord; I want to obey Your commands and serve You in the way
you planned for me before I was even born”.

Links to the devotionals:
https://utvolwoody.com/2025/11/17/when-will-jesus-return-and-pass-judgment-on-you-and-me/

https://utvolwoody.com/2017/02/20/how-important-is-it-to-have-someone-who-really-knows-you/