Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
Are you struggling? I am. To many days riding the CoronaCoaster has left me fumbling for solid ground. I feel like a kid who was sent to time-out in the corner, and my parents forgot I was there! I think we’re all a little worn down and obsessed with glancing at the calendar, longing for a normal to return.
But normal is just a setting on your dryer.
Are you ready for wonderful news? Hope is on the horizon!
Everything in life is temporary. Everything. Whether it’s a high or a low, it won’t last. Ask anyone who lived through the depression, survived a war, came in first place, or landed the dream job. Life is unpredictable and ever-changing.
But here is the greatest news: God is NOT ever-changing. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is always there. In the lowest lows, He carries us. In our highest highs, He holds us. Without Him, our lows can seem unbearable, and our highs can seem unstoppable. Yet with Him, we become unshakable.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. It says: “Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
That seems a bit lofty, doesn’t it? Be joyful ALWAYS? Even when life isn’t fair? Pray continually? I don’t live in a convent; I live in the real world! Give thanks in ALL circumstances? You have no idea what happened in my life! How can I give thanks for THAT?
Why, why does the Bible tell us to do what seems impossible?
Because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. That’s the answer. When you surrender your life to Him, He lives in you. You can be joyful because you know Who holds your hope. You pray because He holds your hope. You give thanks because He holds your hope. See how that works? You are in Christ Jesus, and you have a firm foundation for hope!
Most things in this world are completely out of our control. We can’t control the government, the unemployment, the school system, or the ups and downs of the virus numbers. However, we have total control over our reaction to all of it.
I had the chance to meet one of my heroes years ago, Corrie Ten Boom. She told the story of being at Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp in WWII. She and her sister Betsie managed to hide a tiny Bible someone slipped to them, and it gave them strength. Her sister Betsie read that passage in 1 Thessalonians when they were assigned to their flea-infested barracks. She encouraged them to give thanks for their circumstances.
Corrie said, “Even the fleas?” “Yes,” Betsie urged. Corrie reluctantly did but told us she didn’t know how fleas were anything to be thankful for. Later they discovered the fleas kept the guards from coming into their barracks, and this gave them the freedom to hold nightly worship services and minister to the other women. These women found hope, even in the midst of despair.
God encourages us to be joyful, pray, and give thanks, not FOR our circumstances but IN them. It’s a choice, and we have an opportunity to make it every day as we ride the coaster of life. Something amazing happens when we do—we acknowledge that our HOPE is in His Hands.
I encourage you today to pause right now and pray this passage and make it personal, from Isaiah 35:3-6 over you and your circumstances:
Strengthen the (my) feeble hands, steady the (my) knees that give way; say to (my) those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the (my) eyes of the blind be opened and the (my) ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the (my) lame (legs) leap like a deer, and the (my) mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Are you ready to discover HOPE, even now? Be joyful, pray, and choose to be thankful for your circumstances. His hope will gush into your wilderness!
It is a rare person who, when his cup frequently runs over, can thank God instead of complaining about the limited size of his mug!
—Bob Russell, pastor and author
They call it “the born again beach.” Here’s how a British newspaper described the “rebirth” of a lost beach:
An Irish beach that disappeared more than 30 years ago has returned to an island off the County Mayo coast. The sand at Dooagh, Achill Island, was washed away by storms in 1984, leaving only rocks and rock pools. But after a freak tide around Easter this year, hundreds of tons of sand were deposited around the area where the beach once stood, recreating the old 300-meter stretch of golden sand.
Local people are using the word “miraculous” to describe the beach’s renewal. An official for the areas tourism board explained why pilgrims are flocking to the site:
We live in a dark world these days so I think that is why there has been so much interest in Dooagh beach since the story broke. For something like our beach to come back gives people hope. It’s a good news story and one where nature has done something benign for a change.
List your 5 biggest losses or toughest trials from this past year in your journal:
In view of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Isaiah 35:3-6, write out a prayer REJOICING from this scriptural perspective over these losses and trials.
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