We have heard many times in our lifetime, “We have never
done it like that before.” I need not remind us that we are facing issues in
our country right now that we have never had to face. It has changed our way of
life so much and in some cases may not return to the old “normal.” I remember
an executive at a large automotive company told the suppliers during a
challenging time that, “Twenty years from now you will look back and say, those
were the good old days.” I can truly look back and agree with him after a few
things that has happened recently. I’m not sure that we will look back twenty
years from now and say that about today. One thing we can say is that we have a
special help in the time of need if our hope and trust is founded on a solid
foundation—Jesus Christ.
Look
with me to a portion of scripture found in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every
side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,
but not destroyed.
Talk about a tough time, the apostle was going
through a period of time that he perhaps had never gone through before. He
refused to let the things that he was facing take his eye off the positive side
of life. He did not try to hide the fact that it was a very difficult time but
notice that with each of the trials, he stated victory over the trial. He
stated that he was hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted and even struck down. In
the middle of all these trials and tests of the apostle, he boldly and
confidently realized the Lord would help him through them. He stated with each
of the trials, “I am not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned and not (will
not be) destroyed.
Life as know is not always easy; we are facing some
tough times. We are also reminded that Jesus told us that “in this world you
will have trouble” but He also gave us great words of comfort—“I have overcome
the world.” These were encouraging words that we can gain strength today.
The things we are facing
today may tend to leave us puzzled, perplexed, unable to fully
understand. Those are honest and normal responses. But we must not allow these
to bring us to the place of losing hope; God is faithful! He will be with us in
our time of trials and suffering, and will bring us through it to victory. The
battle of life may be raging now, but remember that the battle is not ours; it
belongs to the Lord. We must never lose sight of the fact that we belong to Him
and He is the great “I AM.” That statement is always present tense. It’s
time for a song!
When
I Say Jesus
The
sea of life is raging; The storms ‘round me roar
I’m
tossed about in turmoil and it’s growing very cold
By
myself I cannot make it. But this one thing I know
When
I speak the name of Jesus, The storm clouds have to go.
When
I say Master, my sorrows disappear
When
I say father, He drives away all my fears.
When
I say Savior, my blinded eyes can see,
When
I say Jesus, He speaks peace to me.[1]
We may not know about the future, but we can be sure that
the One to whom we belong holds us in the palm of His hand.
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