Life is sometiems difficult

How much do you trust God? I really mean this, how much do you trust God? Do
you believe that he cares for you? Do you believe that no matter what
happens in your life that he is right there beside you? Do you believe that
if you live faithfully he will someday take you home to heaven? As
Christians we must believe these things, because that is the hope we have in
life; that is what our faith is about!

Philip Yancey, in his book REACHING FOR THE INVISIBLE GOD, tells of his
father in law, a Bible teacher and committed Christian. The older man's
faith troubled him in his final years. A degenerative nerve disease confined
him to bed, preventing him from sharing in most of the activities he
enjoyed. In addition to his own illness, his daughter battled a debilitating
form of diabetes.

During the most severe crisis, he composed a Christmas letter and mailed it
to family members and friends. He expressed his uneasy feelings about many
things he had once taught. What could he believe with certainty? The old
Bible teacher staked his faith on three realities. Here is his list: "(1)
Life is difficult, (2) God is merciful, (3) Heaven is sure."

Is life difficult? Yes! It is rarely any other way, but God's word assures
us that we have a loving God who is merciful to his children and that the
promise of heaven is sure. We believe it, because he said.

Jesus encouraged his disciples with these words found in John 14:1-3: "Do
not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My
Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you
that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may
be where I am."

Has that promise ever changed? No, God's promise to us remains the same no
matter what difficulties come into our lives. The writer of Hebrews
encourages us with these words. "Because God wanted to make the unchanging
nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he
confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of
the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an
anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:17-19).

What is the anchor for your soul during difficult times, what is your hope?
It must be the "unchangeable" promises of God, because those are the only
ones that really last!

Russ Lawson