Hope in a Lost World

Let’s face it; we live in a turbulent age.

One has only to turn on the news or look out their window to see the evidence of a fallen world. Wars rage constantly; natural disasters pave their destructive way across continents; and millions are left with nothing. Loved ones die in automobile crashes; cancer rears its ugly head after years of remission. A promising young athlete is injured by a drunk driver and hobbles around for the rest of their life; a musician on the brink of a successful career is diagnosed with Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIEDs) and can no longer hear. Children succumb to sickness; grandparents become subject to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other illnesses. Survivors open their eyes after regaining consciousness, only to realize it would have been easier to have died than cope with a life that is full of pain and loss. Murders; anxiety; depression; suicides; bankruptcy; these things tear their way into our lives, and we are tempted to ask the question:

“Why?”

It’s a word that burns on our tongues, that breaks our hearts; it is the utterance of complete despair and sorrow. It’s a word that pounds in our minds, and nothing we can do seems to ever satisfy it.

The thing is, even the wisest of us can never answer that question this side of eternity.

Now you may ask, what’s the point? What’s the reason of life? If life is so bleak, why even bother to live it? Is there hope at all?

The answer is yes.

“But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”

This passage from Isaiah 43 is but one of many beautiful examples to continually hope in God and in His promises.

Even when the world seems to be at its darkest, when life could not possibly be more terrible, there is always hope for the child of God. There is hope because God is sovereign and He will work out His plan and purposes regardless of what it may seem like to us. There is hope because God is always guiding and directing us and nothing happens to us that is not a part of His will. There is hope because Christ came to earth to die to save sinners from eternal damnation. There is hope because Christ continually intercedes for His people. And there is hope because one day, this fallen, sin-cursed world will pass away, and the new Heaven and Earth will come, and there will be no more suffering, no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain. For “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) And “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9)

There is hope that one day all things will be made new. This world around us is dying. But there
will come a day when it, too, will pass away, and God will finally bring us home to Him.  Do not despair; though all seems against you, there is always hope because God is guiding and directing every moment of your life. It does not make sense in the here and now, because we can only see a tiny fraction of time; but God sees all things, and one day, we will see and understand the “why.”

Song for the week: I’ve fallen in love with this new song by Celtic Woman: Moorlough Shore. It’s so mystical and sad. 

Graphic was for a friend. ^.^ I made four versions, but I’m only posting one here.

I hope to have a review by next week. Stay tuned!

~ Gwynnedd