“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
James 5:11 NIV
I read a story of a woman who came to the Lord at a young age and found a way to stand firmly with the Lord even though her life was full of loss and suffering. On her death bed she proclaimed that her last day on earth was her absolute best because her Savior was waiting for her arrival. One of life’s toughest questions is how do we remain faithful in the midst of suffering.
God’s great gift to us is a grace given salvation that promises an eternal life of blessings with our Father. It is this great hope of salvation, of our inheritance into the kingdom that enables us to persevere in trying times. We live in a fallen brutal world and no one makes it out alive unless the Lord comes for us. Yet in the midst of this life’s troubles, we have been given a life that has God ‘s peace, God’s love and strength immersed in it so we may be able to stand.
Where does our hope come from? It comes from the promises of our Heavenly Father. Not only are they eternal but they are powerful to lift us from the pit of suffering we encounter. Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us. He promised to return, to restore us and take us home with him.
That my friends is the hope we have that he is with us now, always has been and always will be!
In Christ
RJ