HomeWord - December 2, 2013

 
Hope in the Midst of Hassles

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:38-39

If you read today's headlines in the newspaper you can get pretty depressed. Yes, at times life looks pretty hopeless. But if we keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ, we can have hope even in the midst of difficult circumstances. We can be comforted by Paul's words found in Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" God is for you, and through His love you can find hope! Here are four reasons why you can remain hopeful in the midst of confusing circumstances.

1. Jesus will win the final victory. One day an old janitor was sitting in the gymnasium of a theological seminary reading the book of Revelation. One of the young theologians sat down beside him and asked him, "Do you understand all the symbolism?" The janitor replied, "No, absolutely not, but I have figured out that Jesus wins, and that's comforting to know because I'm on His side."

Jesus told these words to the apostle John: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life" (Revelation 21:6).

2. Jesus sets you free. Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." In Christ you can have hope because you have been set free from your sin. You are free to be all that God desires you to be without the constraints of your past. You can know the meaning of abundant life because of what Christ did for you on the cross.

3. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. In Christ you are a new creation. Romans 8:1, 2 puts it best: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Even though we deserve death and spiritual separation from God, we have new beginnings and eternal life in Jesus Christ. Talk about a reason for hope!

4. God's love transcends human understanding. Because God loves us, we are "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37) through Christ. God loves you and wants the best for you. His love will give you hope even in the bleakest of circumstances. There is a light always shining, and the light is the love of God. In Him YOU can find hope.

GOING DEEPER:

1. Reread Romans 8:38, 39. What can separate us from the love of God?

2. Make a list of reasons why you can be hopeful in a world filled with hopeless happenings. Remember: If you are focused on Jesus Christ, He will give you great hope!

FURTHER READING:

Colossians 1:16; Romans 5:8

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