DO NOT LOSE HEART!

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

                           Vol. 7:–No: 35(November 27, 2016)

Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

 

 Somewhere, a mother roams the streets of a country that is not her own. Fear, desperation, and maternal instinct drove her to cross a dangerous sea with nothing but the clothes on her back and her infant nestled in a sling. Where will she rear her child? Where will she and her child rest their weary heads at night?

 Somewhere, debates rage online between brothers and sisters in Christ as others watch, confused by the anger, division, and lack of love.

 Somewhere, a family mourns the loss of a loved one as yet another 9/11 anniversary has just so recently passed.

 In a broken world, life often goes awry. There is always a somewhere, and sometimes it’s right here. As we all confront the challenges of war, transition, loss, or any trauma, it’s easy to wonder where God is in these moments.

 Even in the darkest of moments, God is still God. Most of all, God is Emmanuel—the God who is with us. He is not simply with us in our pain, but He knows our pain. We are not alone.

 Scripture is full of stories of godly people who dealt with loss, trauma, and heartache. Through it all, those who seemingly were dealt a bad hand still kept their eyes looking forward. Many anticipated God’s justice, righteousness, and deliverance to prevail on earth.

 Many of those we read about in the scriptures were full of hope that someday the world would be put to right and that the Kingdom of God would burst forth with light into the world’s dark and broken spaces.

 Even today, the people of God expect to someday know a world without pain, oppression, brokenness, loneliness, and grief.  As the people of God, we

rejoice for what God has done. We rejoice, for God has heard the cry of His people. We rejoice because we know that God will complete the good work.

 Even though we live in a world of somewhere and even right here, we must constantly and continually believe that all will be accomplished for the glory of God in the times to come.

 Belief bursts forth in those who trust in God’s deliverance, God’s righteousness, and God’s justice. The Apostle Paul said it best:

 

“Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporal, but what is unseen is eternal.”—2 Corinthians 4:16-18