Are you troubled by the days we are living in? Has your faith been shaken by the progression of sin that has come to the forefront of our world? When you and I lose perspective of God in our reasoning and worry, we are much like Peter who took his eyes off of Jesus when walking out to Him on the water. Instead of focusing on Jesus, he focused on the storm. Being scared in troubled times is good, if it propels us toward the gospel. Yes, the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of each person in the world, resurrected after His death and will come again must give us hope! Peter puts it this way:
14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
[1 Peter 3:14-15 NLT]
Peter, encourages us as believers to know our suffering for doing good in bad times actually makes us more like Christ. We can understand Him more by suffering unjustly as He did. More importantly, we can have hope because Christ’s suffering is what led Him back to His throne! [v.22] . Do not be swayed by the taunts of the crowd, the election of a president, the agenda of special interest groups or the fear of an uncertain future. You can have hope as a Christian! Your hope is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Know that hope, claim that hope and share it.
In Him,
Pastor James