The distresses of life are the result of Adam’s sin.
Life on this earth is only a shadow of what is to come and provides us with
little hope unless we are Born Again by God's Spirit (1 Chronicles 29:15).
Without hope, life is impossible to live. A
hopeless existence crushes our soul, and affects our body and spirit as well
(Job 17:15). Many people say that God is no help to them in their times of
trouble; but the truth is: God is our only hope.
Our living hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. We have an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that never
fades away.
When we see the fruition of our hope, we feel
totally alive and blessed (Proverbs 13:12). This gift is reserved for all
Believers in heaven and on earth.
Even though we grieve in our trials in this life,
we rejoice in the fact that it is only for a little while – a vapor compared to
eternity (James 4:13-14). Total surrender to God is the
key to escaping our misery.
He holds us up when we fall and lifts up everyone
who is discouraged and calls on Him. We can be strong
and live in courage without fear, because Christ in us fights for us against
all of the negative aspects in our life (Joshua 10:25; John 5:6).
We are protected in trials by the power of God. His
hope fills our hearts with joy and peace. By the power of His Spirit in us, our
hope abounds (Romans 15:13).
We trust in His complete salvation - spirit, soul
and body - which is ready to be revealed at the end of time (1 Peter 1:3-6).
However, God gives us rest in safety in this world as well.
We can lie down without fear. We are secure in our
hope in Christ (Job 11:18-19). We hope in the Lord, even in the difficult times
in life (Job 13:15). The Lord takes pleasure in those who hope in His mercy
(Psalm 147:11).
Prayer:
Father God, our hope rests in You. Your victory
over death and your eternal salvation provide a living hope for us regardless
of our circumstances in our life on earth. We look forward to spending the
Millennium serving You and then rejoicing in You for eternity with all of Your
Saints.
Thank you for suffering the death on the cross in
our place, for taking up Your life again in Your resurrection (John 10:17-18,
15:13), for coming for Your Bride before the day of God’s wrath, and for coming
again with Your Saints to set up Your Kingdom on the earth.
Thought for the Day:
Due to Jesus' victory on Calvary's cross, we have
the hope of eternity and we can live life on this earth with a steadfast and
immovable mind-set; this positive attitude enables us to succeed in our work directed
by the Lord, which is our labor of love for Him and the world around us, and is
never in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
