1 Peter 1:13

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming ~ 1 Peter 1:13


There are many trials we face in life, and they differ from person to person. Jesus advised his disciples, and us through his words that we would face trials, that just because we believe in him, we would not be free of the ups and downs of life. In fact, he warned us because we believe in him we could face more trouble than those who do not. Many churches and preachers today preach a soft Christ, a friend you can cozy up to, and one that will protect you from all harm. They mislead new believers, for when trouble comes upon them, they turn their back on the God who did not supposedly protect them. Jesus is our friend, and he does walk with us, but his walk continues through the hard and the soft times. This is our hope. Jesus will not keep from us that which is good, though we may have to walk through the trial to reach that goodness. The disciples were told to be alert and fully sober of mind, they were not to become fainthearted or weary in their trials. They were not to give up and abandon their hopes in the good news Jesus brings. What are your troubles today? Many are becoming fainthearted with the ongoing disease our world is suffering from in these days. Some just want life to be “normal” again, whatever that normal was. We are tired of lockdowns, of separation from loved ones, of covid-19 and hearing its name. others are dealing with other sicknesses during this time, which seem to be on the backburners of care. Our health care personnel are overworked and exhausted too. Trials come with many names and in many sizes, but do not give up. Jesus is our friend, and we can cozy up to him, but not so that we do not have to face the trials life brings, but in that when we walk through the flood and the fire, he walks right along with us and will not leave us. He is our hope, forever!

Pastor Julia

image pixabay

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:26

Image
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans ~ Romans 8:26 Many days, many times, I have the words for prayer. It comes forth and flows fairly naturally as I converse with my Lord God. I hope in the God I worship to hear me, and to receive my words, as I pray in the name of Jesus and believe in Him, my intercessor. He is my Living Saviour, my High Priest, standing at the right hand of God the Father. But there are times when my pain has been so deep that my words will not come. There are times when my agony is so piercing that what words I may speak would not be enough. And so, in my deep, black moments, I come before my God and let my darkest emotions erupt in sounds that only He can understand. The Holy Spirit within me cries out in my stead, and He becomes my second intercessor. It is not that He is not there with me in all my prayers, but there are times wh...
Read more

Proverbs 18:2

Image
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in sharing their own opinions ~ Proverbs 18:2 If we are going to understand something, we must fully digest it so that when we speak, we speak with wisdom. When we have only half truths in our mind, our words become empty and senseless. We then puff out air rather than understanding when we speak. A wise person will want to improve their mind through learning in various ways from the world around them. A person who delights in spiritual understanding will find peace and enjoyment in reading the Word of God on a daily basis, and in participating with God’s people in a learning and praising environment – the church! We come together in corporate worship with the understanding that not one of us knows all things, but we bend our mind and heart to learn what God has to show and say to us. A foolish person makes a show of what they “know” to please their friends or to save face in front of them. More often a wise person will hold t...
Read more

Isaiah 43:19

Image
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert ~ Isaiah 43:19 When we meet a challenge, we are often found discouraged, lost, even hopeless. Nothing is working, everything seems to be against us. We do not know how to move forward, so we remain curled up in a ball. Then, a glimmer of light shines through! Hope is regained and movement is stirred within. Don’t we become excited when we begin to feel it? God moves like that. We cannot see our way around it, but He can and does. And He makes a way for us out of the calamity of our fears. It is the feeling of springtime after a long winter, or the smell of fresh cut grass. Life stirs within and we move and we see what God saw all the time – the answer to our dilemma. Our desert place becomes an oasis, and we can do what we are called to do. Something totally unexpected happens, something unheard of, but it begins in our life, and we feel the...
Read more