Standing Firmly on Our Faith
Where did our summer go? How will things look this fall? What will the coming year bring?
Right now, our heads are swirling with these types of questions and many others as we head into August and ponder a future filled with uncertainty.
Clearly, this has been a challenging year — physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, politically, and economically. But what about spiritually? How are you feeling right now about your relationship with the Lord?
My hope is that in times like these, we can stand firm in our faith, not only to sustain us, but also to lift up others; not only to help us survive, but also to help all of us thrive.
There are many passages in scripture that remind us of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, and that the future — no matter how uncertain — will bring us assurance because of our relationship with Him.
Philippians, Chapter 4, Verses 4-9, encourages us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Let us not be anxious about anything” — past, present, or future — but instead “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present [our] requests to God.” In return, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus.”
With that base as our foundation, we no longer have to be reactive, but rather proactive in our words and in our actions, particularly in regard to “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — whatever we have learned or received or heard from God or seen in Him,” we are advised to put it into practice, “and the God of peace will be with us.”
No one knows when the pandemic will end or when a resolution to our social unrest will bring calm to our cities and towns, but we do know that Jesus is always with us on this journey, and that he will never leave us. We also know that He will empower us as we read in that powerful passage from Isaiah 40:31 — “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Take heart, the future is bright, and it beckons us — not to sit and cower, but instead to stand and conquer.
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John