Life sometimes hands us sorrows that we cannot fathom and that we were not prepared for. Times when Hope seems faint and the crushing waves will not stop rushing over us. They hold us down, not allowing us to come up for air. We learn to just stop fighting against the onslaught of disappointments and despairs. We are so tired that we just want to give up. The day begins and as soon as we step out the door, the rains come at us sideways and the gale force winds blister us, driving those rains into our skin at a frightening pace. We then feel miserable, damp and alone.
Or maybe it's not us but an acquaintance, or a friend who just needs someone to reach out to them. Oftentimes we do not know what to say or do to bring comfort or healing to them. Sometimes we lose friends to unexpected events, or lose friendships to things beyond our control. Sometimes waves of regret come for not reaching out to them better, or choosing different words to say to them that may have been more helpful. Sometimes our light is too dim for them to see any hope within us. Maybe we were just hanging on ourselves and didn't feel we could help them at all.
As followers of Christ, we must believe that there is Hope before being able to provide it for others. Unaware of our true position in Him, we can be as lost as those who are still searching for Home. We can be tossed by every wave and pushed easily to the brink of despair, all because we wrongly believe that we should not have any troubles or heartaches. We think that life is supposed to be perfect and that there should not be any trials for us. But this is not what Jesus promised (John 16:33). And to continue to be surprised by what life throws at us shows a lack of trust in His Sovereign Will and the Hope that He offers. Knowing from the stories in the Bible that there were those who trusted Him, but still dealt with depression and despair, should give us some comfort. Even Jesus wanted His disciples to watch and pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, and they failed to do it. We can never know the depth of His emotions in those moments that night, but the Bible describes it as agony.
We have all felt loss and pain, felt down, lonely, misunderstood or betrayed by those closest to us. We've all had times when things didn't seem to be going our way. As we begin to understand that we will suffer, that we will have to endure tough days, and that the point of these "light and momentary afflictions" is to bring us closer to Him; we will understand these hard times better. As His Glory is revealed, we will know that He allows these tough places in order to help us grow and stretch us. It doesn't mean we will always like it, but that we can learn to believe He has the best outcome in mind for us.
As we are swirled around in the deep, no longer trying to resist the waves crashing above and the current that is sweeping us towards the shore, we somehow find a strange peace. Knowing that He is in control and has allowed these endless walls of water to come. Jesus brother, James, says “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” We can begin to share that Hope with others who need it as we go through our own trials and see how He holds us through them. He is with us in the torrent, in the suffering, and this is the difference that we can make. We can bring the hurting and broken, our friends, and those we love and care about to Him, the embodiment of Peace. For we have something that the enemy and his demons do not have..... Hope.
Or maybe it's not us but an acquaintance, or a friend who just needs someone to reach out to them. Oftentimes we do not know what to say or do to bring comfort or healing to them. Sometimes we lose friends to unexpected events, or lose friendships to things beyond our control. Sometimes waves of regret come for not reaching out to them better, or choosing different words to say to them that may have been more helpful. Sometimes our light is too dim for them to see any hope within us. Maybe we were just hanging on ourselves and didn't feel we could help them at all.
As followers of Christ, we must believe that there is Hope before being able to provide it for others. Unaware of our true position in Him, we can be as lost as those who are still searching for Home. We can be tossed by every wave and pushed easily to the brink of despair, all because we wrongly believe that we should not have any troubles or heartaches. We think that life is supposed to be perfect and that there should not be any trials for us. But this is not what Jesus promised (John 16:33). And to continue to be surprised by what life throws at us shows a lack of trust in His Sovereign Will and the Hope that He offers. Knowing from the stories in the Bible that there were those who trusted Him, but still dealt with depression and despair, should give us some comfort. Even Jesus wanted His disciples to watch and pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, and they failed to do it. We can never know the depth of His emotions in those moments that night, but the Bible describes it as agony.
We have all felt loss and pain, felt down, lonely, misunderstood or betrayed by those closest to us. We've all had times when things didn't seem to be going our way. As we begin to understand that we will suffer, that we will have to endure tough days, and that the point of these "light and momentary afflictions" is to bring us closer to Him; we will understand these hard times better. As His Glory is revealed, we will know that He allows these tough places in order to help us grow and stretch us. It doesn't mean we will always like it, but that we can learn to believe He has the best outcome in mind for us.
As we are swirled around in the deep, no longer trying to resist the waves crashing above and the current that is sweeping us towards the shore, we somehow find a strange peace. Knowing that He is in control and has allowed these endless walls of water to come. Jesus brother, James, says “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” We can begin to share that Hope with others who need it as we go through our own trials and see how He holds us through them. He is with us in the torrent, in the suffering, and this is the difference that we can make. We can bring the hurting and broken, our friends, and those we love and care about to Him, the embodiment of Peace. For we have something that the enemy and his demons do not have..... Hope.
RSS Feed
