Hope
Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble,"
Faith-shaking trouble; when darkness covers and almost snuffs out our fire.
"But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
There are 2 overlapping realities - the troubled world and the peace of being in the presence of Jesus Christ. He promised us this peace, but he also promised us trouble... Individually, these 2 realities are not very good theologies:
"Bad things happen but that's how life is,"
"God can do anything and therefore I will never suffer!"
Instead, we need to combine the 2 and know that although there will be troubling times in life, we can have the confidence that Jesus is an overcoming Savior.
"We have this hope as an anchor to the soul, firm and secure, it enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf" - Hebrews 6:19 - 20
Jesus becomes our middle man so that we can be close to God.
The anchor of the cross will keep us from getting completely shipwrecked.
God allows freedom but still maintains control. Just like during the crucifiction of Christ, God is never not in control of our lives. God can use the worst for eternal good.
The cross is proof that God doesn't always change our circumstances. It's proof that He always has a purpose in every circumstance.
"We are all broadcasting something with our lives - what are you broadcasting with yours? We are all broadcasting some kind of message to the world. What are you broadcasting with your breath, your days, your hours in this world?" - Louis Giglio
Suffering and hardship are amplifiers to whatever is in our hearts. A lot of people have the ultimate goal [priority] of preserving themselves and others they love to get as far in life as they can in the best shape possible that they can. The problem with that is that when suffering comes, when death comes, our mission in life can be snuffed out in a heartbeat by circumstances we have no control over. The people living this way then hit a wall and with their pain they shout out: "Nothing matters!", "God isn't real!", "Nothing makes sense!"
Instead, change your priority from self-preservation to glorifying God with your life. Hardship, death and suffering can't snuff this goal out; instead they just help amplify the message :)
"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life [that is, knows there is more to life than just what we experience here in this world] in this world will keep it for eternal life" - John 12:25
How to be ready for trouble:
1. Embrace a higher purpose (exchange self-preservation for using your life to glorify God)
2. Expect difficulty to come, but do not discount the power of God.
3. Hope in difficulties - put your anchor down and cling to the cross of Jesus and never let go.
4. Use trouble for His glory.
Suffering is your servant; you are not the servant of your hardship or of what has been handed to you. Use your suffering to broadcast your message that:
Nothing is bigger than our Savior.
Jesus,
I thank you that in a broken world, we have an overcoming Savior; that we can anchor ourselves with the hope that you will always love us and are making everything work out for our good, even if we don't understand.
Faith-shaking trouble; when darkness covers and almost snuffs out our fire.
"But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
There are 2 overlapping realities - the troubled world and the peace of being in the presence of Jesus Christ. He promised us this peace, but he also promised us trouble... Individually, these 2 realities are not very good theologies:
"Bad things happen but that's how life is,"
"God can do anything and therefore I will never suffer!"
Instead, we need to combine the 2 and know that although there will be troubling times in life, we can have the confidence that Jesus is an overcoming Savior.
"We have this hope as an anchor to the soul, firm and secure, it enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf" - Hebrews 6:19 - 20
Jesus becomes our middle man so that we can be close to God.
The anchor of the cross will keep us from getting completely shipwrecked.
God allows freedom but still maintains control. Just like during the crucifiction of Christ, God is never not in control of our lives. God can use the worst for eternal good.
The cross is proof that God doesn't always change our circumstances. It's proof that He always has a purpose in every circumstance.
"We are all broadcasting something with our lives - what are you broadcasting with yours? We are all broadcasting some kind of message to the world. What are you broadcasting with your breath, your days, your hours in this world?" - Louis Giglio
Suffering and hardship are amplifiers to whatever is in our hearts. A lot of people have the ultimate goal [priority] of preserving themselves and others they love to get as far in life as they can in the best shape possible that they can. The problem with that is that when suffering comes, when death comes, our mission in life can be snuffed out in a heartbeat by circumstances we have no control over. The people living this way then hit a wall and with their pain they shout out: "Nothing matters!", "God isn't real!", "Nothing makes sense!"
Instead, change your priority from self-preservation to glorifying God with your life. Hardship, death and suffering can't snuff this goal out; instead they just help amplify the message :)
"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life [that is, knows there is more to life than just what we experience here in this world] in this world will keep it for eternal life" - John 12:25
How to be ready for trouble:
1. Embrace a higher purpose (exchange self-preservation for using your life to glorify God)
2. Expect difficulty to come, but do not discount the power of God.
3. Hope in difficulties - put your anchor down and cling to the cross of Jesus and never let go.
4. Use trouble for His glory.
Suffering is your servant; you are not the servant of your hardship or of what has been handed to you. Use your suffering to broadcast your message that:
God is good!!
Nothing is bigger than our Savior.
Jesus,
I thank you that in a broken world, we have an overcoming Savior; that we can anchor ourselves with the hope that you will always love us and are making everything work out for our good, even if we don't understand.
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