There are beautiful things in this world, but our adversary does not want us to see them, for they offer hope, and hope is not advantageous to his cause, despair is.
The young deer must be attacked by the bear, that beautiful flower must wilt tomorrow, hope does his plan no good at all. Hope gives people a reason to live, the horror of today may be forgotten tomorrow, hope is what keeps people moving forward in life. “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Heb. 11:10)
For those of us who have been born-again, hope rests assured in Jesus Christ, He is our Rock, our Strong Tower, He is the purpose of our lives. Because of Him our faith becomes a fact, an unquestionable promise, we do not just hope in Christ, we trust Him implicitly. This is our strength in the days of trouble, this is what gave Job the courage to say, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)
The days we live in offer little hope, and for most hope is easily swayed by fear, the more fear, the less hope of a brighter future. It is, in one way, how the chaff is being separated from the wheat, this does not mean that those who serve the Lord are happy in these days, we find no pleasure in watching the majority of the planet living in some form of fear, we do not relish in seeing them give up their freedoms for the lie of a supposed security, and we despise those that are inflicting these fears upon the weak minded, but we do not fear as they do.
The hope that we have cannot be damaged or hindered by any current circumstances, we have seen these days approaching for quite some time now and have prepared accordingly. The world is stockpiling food, rationing what they have, trying to stay afloat in whatever way possible, they hope to make it through what they call these “difficult days.” We can see what is approaching, and while we too in ways that seem wise to us are preparing for what the flesh may need, there are much more pressing matters at hand.
We are preparing to meet God.
In these days of little hope for mankind, we are doing all we can to reach out to those who do not yet know Jesus Christ as Savior, to those who are only professing Him with their lips, we try to show the truth of this error to them. To those who are trapped by religious organizations, we show them that what they have faith in will in no way lead them to salvation. We offer hope to those who fear, to those who are standing on sinking sand.
The attacks of our adversary are nearly non-stop today, an adverse future is what he is offering, and each step of the way requires just a little more loss of freedom, just a little more trust in the government, a little less reliance on self each day. He is beginning to move about as a roaring lion, and people are losing hope.
With faith in Jesus Christ comes confidence, the knowledge that we are His, that it is the Lord Himself that is directing our footsteps. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:6) That is how simple it is.
He who has promised to love us forever will never forsake us, that truth is beyond hope, that is a truth that our souls can rest on with all assuredness. We offer so much more when we speak to others about the Lord Jesus Christ than hope, we offer truth, a peace that passes all understanding.
There are still beautiful things in this world, they are the men and women of God who bring glad tidings to all who will hear. Be one of them. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isaiah 52:7)
