Heavenly Father I praise You for being a God who is both in time and outside of time. You meet us where we are at right at this moment but You also see our whole story and the end of the story for the world but also the beginning of the next chapter of eternity. I praise You for the fact that life continues after we breathe our last here on the earth. I praise You for creating heaven and a place for each of us to live. To live as we were originally meant to live.
Christ said to His disciples and those who were listening: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33] I know this often sounds to simple but it should be the starting point of our faith. We all face trouble, no one goes untouched in life. Yet if we know that this trouble is only going to harass and attack us during our time on earth, measured against eternity with Christ, what is 80 years verses infinity? Perspective helps us have resolve, resolve helps us have hope, hope is the foundation to our faith. Faith helps us
overcome all and still live righteously. I think of those who suffered the holocaust of World War 2 and yet forgave [not forgot] and went on to live. Some of them went on to do great things others built new families, even a nation was reborn despite all the Muslim nations trying to stop it or destroy it. Christ has overcome, overcome sin, evil, temptation, death on a cross, even going to hell to retrieve the keys, and most of all he overcame death as was resurrected. If he is our God, Savior and example then we can be assured we will eventually overcome. We will not avoid, be relieved of but overcome. David told us that we will walk through the shadow of the valley of death and God will walk with us. God met the three in the fire, not before it. He had an angel shut the lion’s mouth as Daniel was throne into the den. When the others were throne into that same den the next day they were destroyed and eaten before they hit the ground. Nothing is impossible for God except to sin or lie. Hold fast to that when you face trouble and I purpose to not let my heart be troubled even though I may be anxious at troubles I face in life.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has given us a new birth into the living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, kept in heaven just for me, I am protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this I greatly rejoice, even though now, if for a little while, I have to suffer various trials, in order that the genuineness of my faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, I still love and in whom, though I do not see Him now, I believe and I rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving as the result of my faith the salvation of my soul. [1 Peter 1:3-9]