08/28 Hope For Every Situation

Date: Tuesday August 28, 2012Today’s Chapters: Lamentations 3-5Message Title: Hope For Every Situation

Hello My Friend,

Before we are even thought of in our mother’s belly God has already appointed us with some purpose in life and everything we go through in life is used to fulfill that purpose. I hate to admit it, but God did send some people in the world just to be a hindrance upon us and cause some suffering in our lives. Why? So that we, who accept Christ can be conformed into the image of Christ to fulfill His purpose for us. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” – Romans 8:28-30.

It is not always easy conforming to image of Christ, those who faithfully serve God are like little Christ’s. They are committed to God, tell others about Christ, and set the example of a true Christian, yet the more Christlike they become the more affliction, suffering, and sorrow they face. As Jeremiah is pondering the destruction of Jerusalem he begins to wonder why he had to see and even be in the middle of God’s wrath. He laments over the affliction he faced and how he had temporarily lost hope in God. “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:” – Lamentations 3:1-3,17,18.

When we are faced with affliction, especially when all we were doing is serving God and trying to do the right things, our hope of things changing can be diminished. It can seem as if God just places us right in the middle of the fire to burn, and while He does allow us to get burned a little He is still with us, waiting for us to realize that we need Him. In order for God to show Himself alive and able to turn a hopeless situation around we need to get burned. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11,14,15.

As Jeremiah was feeling sorrow over his afflictions he began to realize something, things could have been a lot worse had it not been for God’s mercy and compassion to save those who want to be saved. He is also reminded that while God allows grief, He also gives hope through the grief. “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” – Lamentations 3:21-27,32,33.

The word compassion means a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied with a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. I have been told by people that I have no compassion on people, and the truth is, I have compassion for those who truly want to change their situation and are taking the steps needed to do so, not just looking for ways to manipulate people into doing things for them so they can keep doing what they are doing. Do you think God has compassion on someone who comes to Him without a sincere heart? He knows when a person truly wants to change their situation and not use Him in the process of feeding their sinful flesh. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” – Romans 9:14-16.

Those who truly want to change the situations in their lives will not only seek God and His mercies, but also take the steps needed to change them by walking with Christ and conforming to Him. I was in a big mess and even going to church, I cried for God to get me out of the situation, but was still conforming myself to me and not Christ. It wasn’t until I truly wanted to get out of the situation I was in that God had compassion on me and helped me out of it. He turned me mess into a message when and only when I no longer wanted the mess in my life. Now, I have compassion for those who want to get out of their messes and will help them anyway I can. God could have taken me out of my situation at any time, but He allowed me to go through everything I went through for one reason and one reason only. If I had not I wouldn’t be who I am today, God had a purpose for me and still does, otherwise I would be in heaven right now. Only through affliction can we become like Christ and find hope out of every situation.

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” – 1 Peter 3:8-12.

Think about all the suffering that an unsaved person or even a person that has backslidden faces and how hopeless they feel. Why do you think the suicide rate is so high? They cannot see God not trust Him to help them out of their situation, we cannot escape affliction, it’s inevitable, but we can endure it if we keep our eyes on Christ. Jesus endured more suffering than anyone here on earth will have to face, but through that suffering came redemption, reconciliation, and resurrection for all who believe in Him. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” – Romans 8:31-34. Praise God!

Today’s Prayer: God, Of all the people that have come and gone in the world, each and every one of them serve a purpose for You. While we do not want to face affliction, often You place difficult people and situations in our lives in order to show us that You have a purpose for us and that through our suffering great things will unfold. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, strengthen us, and help us to look to You for hope out of every situation, and do what is necessary on our part to not only conform to the likeness of Your Son, but to be a witness and a testimony that You alone turned our messes into messages of hope and faith in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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