In my various professions over the past almost 50 years I have dealt with faith related issues in not only my own life but in the lives of friends, family, co-workers, and clients/strangers. We, as people, faith that is based on what we know to be true, known to have been true and know that it will be true in the future as well. This faith is what gives us and helps us maintain hope. Without hope, the Bible tells us, the people perish. Sometimes hope isn't enough and people give up. When it seems that God hasn't heard and hasn't answered our prayers we give up and resign ourselves to fate. Fate is not faith, nor it is hope. Fate is sad recognition that there is nothing to be done with what is going on in our lives. Fate is also an excuse to not have faith and to not have hope. Fate undermines who we believe God is and his purpose in my life. Perhaps this is true of your life as well. Countering this undermining in our lives is difficult but can be accomplished; though not alone.
Just what are the promises of God that we we hope for in our faith? This may be immediate like answered prayer or delivery from some oppressive thought. Sometimes the hope is far off like life with Jesus in Heaven. Both of these are essential to carry on our Christian life. Yet, we see and hear about people claiming to be Christians complaining about prayers going unanswered and people going to the extreme decisions made in the heat of the moment. There is an old Christian saying that goes like this: "If you don't feel close to God; guess who moved." What results is the Christian taking it upon themselves to "make" things happen. They, in essence, become the god of their world. Very seldom during times of trouble do we hear the Christian announcement of: "Blessed be the name of the Lord." We have little problem when God has worked to answer our prayers and yet abandon him when there appears to be silence.
As suggested by the title, we hope for the promises of God. Specifically, we hope for the salvation that is offered through the death, resurrection of ascension of Jesus. So hope is based on a conquering and loving God. His conquering of death and sin for you and I are reason to hope in him. Yet, we have this knowledge before us and abandon faith and hope working hard to go nowhere because we don't believe there is actually anywhere that life leads us to. So it is with the suicide of Christian men and women. In the midst of despair and broken dreams coupled with self failure, life has ceased to be worth living...or so they think. When people reach this level of despair there is a lack of faith in God, a lack of hope in God and a lack of belief in God. Taking one's life is a final act to a temporary problem. Taking one's life is a final choice to be the god of your world. When we place ourselves in that place only the intervention of God can bring about repentance, renewed faith and eternal life with God.
God promises that he will never leave nor forsake us. God promises that he will never allow more than we can bear up under without a way out. God promises that we will have persecution when we live our faith. God promises that he will answer our prayers. We may not like the answer but He will answer the prayer according to His will and not mine. God promises that he has made a place for us when we pass from this world to our real home. God's promises are always true. By faith we are reconciled to God. Faith in what He has accomplished and not of anything we have done or deserved. By faith in God we have hope and a future. So, let us live looking at the promises of God and basking in his goodness. He who has called you is capable of keeping you.
No comments:
Post a Comment