Hope

I have some friends who are facing very serious problems right now. All we have to do is turn on the television to see that people all over the world are in the same boat. The most common reaction to difficult situations is to worry; yet worry only makes it worse. It is too easy to become discouraged when you allow yourself to worry. There is a song that I love that has a verse that goes like this: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives,
all fear is gone –
Because I know who holds the future
and life is worth the living,
just because He lives”.

Jesus does hold the future. He already knows how your future and mine will turn out. We are assured repeatedly throughout the Bible, that if we are Christians, all things will turn out perfectly. Then why do we worry? Maybe because we do not trust Jesus? Maybe we think that things might not turn out according to our plan, and we do not trust the Jesus plan. Jesus said that it was a sin to worry. It is actually an insult to Him not to trust Him. When we face difficult circumstances, we are to turn to Him and trust in Him to lead us through the storm. There is another song that has this verse: “I am weak but thou are strong”. No truer words were ever spoken. God’s strength will get us through any circumstance, but we must turn to Him and turn our problems over to Him.
The way I understand the Bible, this is something Jesus badly desires.
He wants us to follow Him with childlike faith. We should trust Him in the same manner that a small child trusts its father. It is when we put our faith in ourselves and try to make it alone that we fail.

Worry solves nothing. It always makes things worse and as with all sin, it has its consequences. It can ruin your health, lead to depression, even suicide. Worry will make you miserable and unhappy; just the opposite of what God desires for us. If you or a loved one has a serious, even life threatening, health problem, if your marriage is on the rocks, if you have severe financial problems, if your career is headed south, if you have an addiction, if a loved one is away at war, or whatever, Jesus stands ready to lead you through it. You must take the initiative. Start on your knees in prayer. Next read the Bible daily. Go to church this Sunday, and hang out with a crowd that loves Jesus. You will discover that “All fear will be gone”, and there is no problem too great for God to successfully resolve.

When He gets you through it and the sun comes back out again and everything is great, remember that God wants a fulltime relationship, not a part-time. Rejoice in the Lord – always! Your future is secure and all things will work out for the good. Don’t worry – Be happy!

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John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice and
I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; neither shall
anyone snatch them out of My hand.
My Father who has given
them to Me, is greater than all; and
no one is able to snatch them out
of My Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one.”