By Rev Douglas Brauner
We cope with daily struggles through the promises of God.
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.
It’s been tough for many of us in the United States. Human life has quickly been destroyed by hurricanes, fires, and floods. Too many people have died through senseless acts of violence.
Many of us are asking if we’re in the end times.
The answer for the church is always yes! We ALWAYS live in the end times. From the time that Christ ascended to the Father, we’ve been expecting and waiting for him to descend full of his glory. We are called to live each day as if it’s the day that Christ will return to retrieve his bride, to end the reign of sin and death, and to cast Satan and his army into the lake of fire.
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.”
Isaiah 35:1-2a English Standard Version
San Jose, California
We hold on to the promise of God as we wait for Jesus’ return. With this promise taking root in our hearts, we can already smell the roses. We can already see ourselves sitting on a park bench fully resting in the experience of the blooming desert.
Yet, there are days when life’s conflicts get the best of us, when we focus on the emptiness of the wilderness instead of the promise of joy’s abundance. We wonder when the day will arrive, or even if the day will come. It’s hard to hold on to the promise when we’re sweating at the wheel of injustice and tragedy.
Isaiah understands our struggle.
“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.’”
Isaiah 35:3-4 English Standard Version
We find the strength to endure the desert when the promises of God are etched on our hearts, and when they are the first things we think about when we experience the wilderness.
The wilderness is real, but so are the promises of God. May you find the strength of God’s promise greater than the desert.
Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Thanks, Pastor Doug
So wonderful to be reminded we are all experiencing the trial and tribulations around our world and the close up pieces in our own lives. The battle rages around us and attacking us persistently. We will be delivered because we belong to The Deliverer, The Victorious One. I can’t imagine what it will be like to have this all behind us and out of us and be set totally free from the presence of sin. I don’t think I even know a word that would describe how it will feel. The beginning of Ephesians is full of superlatives trying to express it to us, such as, “Exceedingly Abundantly Above” ; I try to embrace them in my understanding, but can’t seem to hold onto them. So I do what I can by God’s Grace and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me, and hold on to Jesus and God’s Promises. Thanks for faithfully encouraging us, Penny