A WORD OF HOPE

On 2 May 2008, the deadly cyclone Nargis brought unbelievable havoc and destruction in Myanmar. Many people saw their loved ones die in front of their eyes! 85 000 people died, 54 000 were missing and 700 000 homes were destroyed! Yet, through the dark areas of psychological scars, shortages of food and shelter, pastors and leaders provided hope, healing and help which changed the lives of entire families. One pastor, who is in partnership with World Challenge Missions, said his church grew from just a handful of people to over a 100, which is an amazing number for a country that has closed doors to Christianity. Perhaps even right now your hopes have been crushed when your expectation of something good failed, and you also feel like the Apostle Paul when he endured a hurricane at sea and said in Acts 27:20, "When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved." However, God intervened and saved all of them! A word of hope: Don’t give up, with God at your side your darkest hour will be replaced by His wonderful light! Your first seed of hope is planted at the time of salvation when you repent and ask Jesus to forgive all of your sins and accept Him as Lord and Saviour of your life. Paul writes in Romans 5:1 - "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We have unbelievable peace and hope because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us on the cross of Calvary! Secondly, our hope is to have "Christ in us" and this very confidence sets our souls at peace. Furthermore, our hope continues with being fully assured that we are in right standing with God. Paul confirms our right standing with God through Christ Jesus: "If when we were enemies, we were recon-ciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement" (Romans 5:10). Thirdly, we have the confidence to come to the throne room of God at anytime and call on Him with our prayers (Romans 5:2). The path of hope though, also leads to tribulation and many afflictions. It doesn’t matter how loving or good you are. If you are in Christ, you will be a partaker in His sufferings! In Romans 5:3 Paul writes: "Not only so, but we glory in tribulations also." In spite of our very real fears, in spite of a situation that appears to be utterly hopeless, we can still say, "GOD WILL PROVIDE A WAY!" To glory in tribulations is impossible to the human mind, for it only becomes possible to those who believe what God’s Word says about suffering, that Christ is at work in us in the midst of every trial! Romans 5:3-4: "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseve-rance, character; and character, hope." Tribulation accomplishes patience. Patience furnishes experience, and experience accomplishes hope. You may often listen to faithful friends who have endured the fires of affliction saying, "God is bringing me through, I know He is faithful. I trust Him and I know He is with me." God has a plan for your delive-rance. "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He spoke and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast" (Psalm 33:6, 9). If God created all things with His Word and His breath, will He not speak hope to you in your trials? (Read Acts 27:22-23). A prophecy from the journal of the unknown prophet: "Beloved, I have seen your hands fall in despair even when no man has seen. I have heard your voice cry out to Me in the midnight hour, and so I would say to you that even as you have been faithful in the desert place, so but in a short while, there is coming a season upon you and your ministry, upon you and your family, where the roses shall bloom. A season where the bare branches shall bud forth. So, press forward in Jesus’ Name to bring His love, life and hope to the nations and to people that are going through crises in their lives." "Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13). SPONSORED BY A TAPESTRY GARDEN GUEST HOUSE