OUR CONFIDENCE
FOR THE FUTURE
Scripture Reading--Psalms 42-43
So many face life without hope. No wonder most suicides occur among teens and young adults. As they consider life with all of its uncertainties, they conclude that there's no reason to go on. This hopelessness is not limited to the unsaved. Many professing Christians struggle, too. What a sad commentary on life!
As you read Psalms 42 and 43, you hear the cry of one who is desperate for God. There is no better place to be than in desperation for God. Many in humanly hopeless and helpless situations have discovered their only hope in God. Romans 15:13 describes Him as the "God of hope." Apart from God, there is no hope. That's why the psalmist wrote, "Hope...in God" ( Ps. 42:5, 11; 43:5 ). Don't look for hope in government, in the judicial system, in education, in money, in military strength, or in any of man's solutions. You won't find it.
In 1982, I was asked to preach my dear mother's funeral service. My mother had been a godly woman who served the Lord at my father's side for many years. As I pondered her life and asked the Lord what I should preach, He directed me to 1 Corinthians 13, the great love chapter. I was especially drawn to verse 13--"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity" ( emphasis added ).
I concluded my message by saying, "It was faith that gave Mother courage, it was hope that gave Mother confidence, and it was love that made Mother complete." Events like burying three of her children could have caused her to conclude that life was hopeless. But her confidence didn't rest in the unpredictable circumstances of life; it rested in her God. Therefore, she was able to face the future confidently for more than 81 years. She was an inspiration to all of us.
DISCUSSION: As a family, talk about seemingly hopeless difficulties you may face. Reaffirm your confidence in God as you face the future.
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