With all that's happening around the world, it's pretty normal for anybody to feel discouraged or disheartened. In Christ, however, we can still rejoice and in fact do more than just hope for the best. How is this?
Hope for hopeless times
Truth be told, anybody who's been watching the news will feel distraught to some extent about what is happening all over the world. Locally, there are reports of violence and many other things. Internationally there are reports of tensions among nations, most particularly with North Korea and parts of the Middle East.
The events happening around us are so serious. People are being killed, prices are skyrocketing, and even the internet has so many bullies trolling others in awful ways. With all these things, how can we still rejoice?
The answer might shock us, but it's really simple: it's through Christ Jesus.
The Lord Jesus is able to bring us peace and hope even in chaotic, hopeless times. He defeated sin and death, and through Him nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.
Peace in turmoil
That said, I'd like to share with you, dear reader, some reasons why we can still rejoice even in the midst of turmoil in the world.
1) God is unshakeable and in control
The Bible tells us that no matter what is happening around us, no matter how chaotic or troubling the events may be, the truth is that God, our Father, is never shaken nor is He thrown into worry. And because He is unshakeable, those who put their trust in Him can never be shaken as well.
David, a man who fought against bears, lions, a war-hardened giant, and a king bent on killing him, knew just how God can make any man secure. In Psalm 62:5-8 we read him say,
"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah"
2) Christ has already defeated the enemy
As Christians, we have to realize that we are fighting a war from the position of victory. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has already won the battle and has made a public spectacle of the enemy's defeat on the cross.
Think about this: the devil thought killing the Christ would gave him victory, but he was mistaken. The sinless Son of God defeated sin by living a sinless life in the flesh. And because He was sinless, He did not deserve death and thus, death could not hold Him down.
Because of this, we know we have overcome: that Christ has won over sin, death, and the enemy.
3) We have God's indwelling Holy Spirit in us
Friends, no matter what happens outside of us, we should be comforted by who's inside of us - the Holy Spirit. Think about it: this same Spirit empowered Christ to live a sinless life, and raised Him from the grave on the third day after His death, lives inside of us.
If we only get a revelation that the Spirit of God, who created everything in creation and raised the Christ from the grave, lives in each and every one of us who believe in Christ, we'd never lose hope. Hopelessness is but a word that doesn't exist in the Spirit's vocabulary. He brings hope, and He lives in us.
