Times are changing! Seasons are coming and going! People talk of what it was like years ago, life seemed so simple. Yet we know that each generation has faced its own challenges. Remember COVID 19? Everyone shut up, wearing masks, schools closed and later turned to online teaching, churches could not assemble for a time, families which some lost jobs or had to for the first time file for unemployment and learn the process of Food Stamps. Families are still trying to recover today and searching for jobs that are equivalent to their prior ones. Church services turned to live streams just to try to keep people encouraged and to minister hope to them. During this time of 2020 HOPE was at an all-time low. We all looked forward to the day when our lives would return to normal yet even when that occurred nothing seemed normal. Plexiglass placed between clerks and customers, everything sanitized even restaurants could only do carry out, online shopping was at an all-time high and even grocery shopping done online.
Let us look at a Biblical reference to a challenge Abraham faced. God had promised him a son and through his son the whole world would be blessed. Many years went by, and Abraham was still not a father. He was discouraged because he was now past the age of being able to produce any children. Let’s look at Romans 4:18-22. As we look at this portion of scripture, we note that it states that all (natural) hope was gone, yet despite it he had hope. Where did his optimism derive from? It came from what God had told him so many times before starting in Genesis 18 that Sarah and Abraham would have a son. How several times have we said how long do I have to wait? When will God answer? People say pray like I haven’t done that, yet many times I have cried out. Where is he, why doesn’t he answer? People say just have patience God will answer. I’m sure Abraham and Sarah had those days as well. Let’s look at how they pressed on through those times when it seemed hopeless. David was distressed because of the situation he was in 1 Samuel 30:6. What does it tell us David did? He encouraged himself in the Lord? So how do I do that?
- Find a scripture regarding your situation: Romans 4:18 – Abraham encouraged him self by what God had told him. Against natural hope he believed what God said and renewed his hope.
- Through reminding himself of the promise it strengthened his faith, despite what the fact was. The fact of what you are encountering is real, but the promise of God will give you the strength to press on through it knowing God will work on your behalf.
- Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that we can come before God with a confidence that he will help us when we are in need.
Psalm 31:24; Psalm 33:20; Psalm 33:22; Psalm 39:7; Psalm 42:11
