May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 ESV
Feeling the weight of disasters, upheaval, rubble, fire, loss?
And I’m not talking about the headline news of the last few weeks.
This is about
- the single mom taking her last child to college knowing the ache of family dysfunction that goes with her freshman’s packed bags
- the ministry wife who struggles with mental health realities and feels no hope
- the veteran teacher who hears repeated advice from parents as to how classroom management doesn’t fit their child’s expectations
- the senior adult who has no family to visit and whose nourishment of body and mind is diminished
- the couple who sees only exits in their stormy marriage
- the neighbor whose words and attitudes spit out distaste for others
- the co-worker who shakily arrives with hints of morning breath that isn’t coffee
- the results of the biopsy, the scan, the invasive species in your body.
How do we stand up when the waves of trouble, hurt, disbelief, anger and sadness keep knocking our feet out from under us?
Remember and repeat out loud who Jesus is and who we are:
My Rock, my Shield around me, the lifter of my head. Psalm 3:3
The Shepherd who carries the brokenhearted with compassion and makes me lie down. Psalm 23 and 34
The Redeeming Savior who was wounded for my mess so I could be healed. Isaiah 53:5
The Hope I can count on to grow in me when I trust Him for what I cannot see. Romans 15:13
Maybe the cry is for yourself today. Or maybe you need to cry for somebody. Put on repeat today who our God is and what He can do in our broken, overwhelming world. Jesus is more than enough. Jesus is near.