Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/8542

8542 Earthly flourishing.... Swift decline....

June 28, 1963: Book 90

From a worldly point of view you are able to observe continuous thriving, for people strive overzealously for earthly improvements and prosperity, all their thoughts and intentions are purely earthly minded and they seem to bring everything under control to better their living conditions. And yet, from a spiritual point of view, it is a constant decline, for people keep moving away from God, they lose their faith in Him and therefore also every connection, and that means that God's adversary takes complete possession of them, that he is most successful with those people who only pay attention to his domain and are therefore also enslaved by him.... People's goals are earthly prosperity, honour and fame, spiritual goals are unknown to them, and neither do they feel the bleakness and emptiness in their hearts because these are completely filled by earthly thoughts and earthly plans.... And only rarely can their experiences unsettle or change their present thinking.... only rarely will people get tired of their earthly activity and look for another goal to support.... Then destiny must come down hard on them and people's thinking must be forcibly turned into a different direction.... when they themselves are incapable of averting this fate and thus will also have to fight.... Then they might dwell on the futility of their earthly life.... they will recognise a higher Power above themselves which is stronger than their will to live and makes people aware of their own weakness. But every severe stroke of fate is only a means to shake people out of their tranquil earthly existence.... This is a means I use in order to achieve a change of attitude, which is indeed possible when they, through suffering or illness or other difficult situations, have to recognise the futility of their earthly endeavours and start to reflect on their own inadequacy and weakness to have control over such strokes, that they are dependent on a higher Power. Only then might their thinking change, and then they will also strive for another goal than the one they had before.... And there will only ever be a few who turn their way of life around, who will be able to detach themselves from the world and its possessions and then no longer allow themselves to be deceived by worldly flourishing and achievements.

Nevertheless, worldly accomplishments will become increasingly more amazing, for it is a sign of the end that ever greater plans will be pursued and also undertaken which, however, will more and more divert from that which God demands from people and which is of value for eternity.... Wherever earthly matter is given priority that is where God's adversary is involved, for people who only chase after material goods and only make plans to improve their prosperity already belong to him. And these people will also be willing servants to him, they will get ever more enchained by matter and therefore also determine their later fate themselves.... For even if you humans can observe constant thriving and steady progress around you.... you will only be able to enjoy it for a short time, for soon everything will fall prey to destruction and you will lose all earthly acquired possessions.... because God Himself wants to prove to you the fleeting nature of all that which occupies your thoughts and yet is completely worthless.... Therefore you, who are already on the right path, should not let yourselves be deceived.... Don't let your thoughts be misled by believing that the earth can still count on a long existence in view of the fact that so many human plans are being accomplished, which denote worldly progress and a high living standard.... Everything progresses in a worldly way, sooner than you think it will come to an end and people will experience living conditions which you cannot possibly imagine.... For a divine intervention through the forces of nature will give rise to a complete change to which people will have to resign themselves and will only be able to do so if they are in close contact with God and pray for strength, which they then will certainly receive, so that all those will surely be helped who find and take the path to Him.... Only then will you humans realise the transience of earthly matter, and good for him who draws the right conclusions from this realisation, who will be able to detach himself from worldly things and only seeks to gain spiritual wealth.... He can always expect God's blessing and support, he will hand himself over to Him and be guided through all adversity....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna