There is a
lot of brokenness in our world today. Things that seem unexplainable. Every
time I turn on the news it seems like there is another mass shooting or
persecution. In world full of sin and darkness, it is hard to see the light
around you. It is hard to find hope and encouragement, when life knocks you
down.
But if
there is anything I have learned this summer. It’s that there is a hope that we
can put our trust in.
And that’s
Jesus Christ.
Hope is
defined as a feeling of trust. That is exactly how faith works. By trusting in
the Lord, we can have peace knowing that He will not let the evil one win. But
rather, we will come out victorious.
I find my
hope in Jesus by looking at the past. I see how God has pulled me through the
tough and difficult stages of life. He pushed me to my limits and just before I
fell, the miracle happened.
It’s easy
to feel alone and helpless in the world we live in. It’s even easier for the
devil to make us believe lies about ourselves in times of despair. I have
personally experienced this, but we don’t have to live in a life full of lies.
Because we are not defined by events of the past, the present, or the future.
But, we are defined by the Lord our God. He makes us new in Him. He cleans our
slate, making us as white as snow. We don’t have to fear anymore, because we
have the Almighty on our side.
So our
identity is not defined by the world, but by Christ alone.
In
Ephesians 1:4 it states “even as He chose
us in Him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and
blameless before Him. In love, He predestined
us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of
His will.”
Did you
catch that? He chose us BEFORE the
foundation of the world. Meaning, that in the beginning He chose YOU to be His
child. He chose YOU to go into the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
He chose YOU to spread the gospel to the nations. He chose YOU to be exactly
who you are. And He chose YOU to be right where you are, so that He can use you
to make a difference in the world.
Now, I
know that sometimes it feels like the Lord’s presence is not near. Trust me, I’ve
had tons of seasons of feeling alone. But, let me remind you that the Lord will
never leave you or forsake you, because He loves and cares for you (Deuteronomy
31:6).
Just take
a look around you. Look at the sky, see the beauty within the landscape. The
trees, the birds chirping outside, and the sparkle in your children’s eye. That’s
God! He is present in every part of your life.
As
children of the Lord, we are not to fear the world, but embrace it. Showing Christ’s
love through our actions and words. Showing people that we do not run away from
scary situations, but we stand up for the One who is to come.
It’s time
to show the world, that even in the midst of a dark, sinful world, there is a
light.
It’s time
to show them, the light of the World.
It’s time
to show them, the hope found in Jesus.
So I am
calling all warriors,
to take up
the whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20)
to set
your minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)
and to go
out into the world spreading the hope that is only found in Jesus Christ.
