Dec 19, 2014 Words of Grace – A Future and a Hope
“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” – Proverbs 23:18
Congregation, I prayed for us this morning. I prayed that we would see the future as God sees it and have hope.
Why this prayer? Because depression, anxiety, and other sorts of emotional and mental struggles are real. These things become spiritual struggles because they impact the way we relate to God. When the psalmist was in the midst of some kind of life struggle, he turned to God and said, “Why have you forgotten me?” (Psalm 42:9)
What we are going through may be physical/chemical or circumstantial, but it causes us to ask God questions. That means it becomes a spiritual issue. And usually, the spiritual experience we have in the struggles of life is a faltering or loss of hope – we question the goodness of God and the future.
Many of us at Grace are living right at this point. And, when one member suffers, we all suffer. So, I prayed for us this morning.
I prayed that we would see the future as God sees it and have hope. As Christians, our future includes the abiding presence of God, the ongoing work of God to make us like Jesus, and the eternal joys of God in heaven. As Christians, we have hope. Those who put their trust in him will not be disappointed (1 Peter 2:6).
If this season is a difficult one for you, here are four practical ways to increase hope:
Reach out. Make a phone call for help.
Get out. Go to events and to church with helpful people.
Serve. Do something to help someone else.
Preach. Proverbs 23:18 is a one-sentence sermon. Take it, memorize it, pray it, quote it to yourself, and then give it away.
Jesus is our future. Jesus is our hope. Jesus will not disappoint.
– Scott