April 7th

Knowing that Jesus rose from the dead should give us confidence to believe that He has our lives all under control. We often want to get mad at God and blame Him for the bad things that happen in our lives. When we do this we don’t give credit where credit is due. Jesus said that we would have trouble right?

What’s the old saying… “I never promised you a rose garden.” …To me that is a silly saying, because they are implying that rose gardens are all beauty and no pain, but roses have thorns!

Anyway, Jesus didn’t lure us into a false hope as some misguided feeble followers who can’t handle the waves. He was up front with us, He told us it would be hard, He told us we would have hard times, He even told us that we would be hated. But…He also promised us that He would be with us ALWAYS and that He has overcome the bad, and that He would use it all for our good, AND that He will return for us someday and we would be with Him in Heaven where the struggle would be over!

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:22 “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

John 10:22 “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

John 14: 1-4 “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.”

Matthew 24:42-44 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

If you read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) you will see that Jesus never said that life would be hunky dory once we chose to be Christ followers. It’s actually the opposite. Life is life and will be even harder because the world won’t like us because the Holy Spirit is in us and they will feel convicted for their sin even if we don’t say anything to them about it. But it has to be the opposite because we don’t want what the world has to offer. The world didn’t and couldn’t die on the cross for our sins to rescue us and then rise from the dead three days later! We need that, so we don’t need what the world has. We need what only Jesus could offer! So come what may, hard times, grief, loss, brokenness, we walk through it knowing that because humans have free will, we will face hard times. BUT…

We walk through it knowing that Jesus rose from the dead!

We walk through it knowing that He made the impossible possible!

We walk through it knowing that we are loved by Him and that He is coming back for us some day!

We walk through it knowing that He is with us and that He has a plan to get us through this life with Him if we just lean in to Him!

Jesus, thank you for the hope that you gave me when you rose from the dead. Thank you for always being with me and NEVER leaving me. Help me to remember that. Help me to turn to you when times are hard and lean in to you for help and guidance. When times are good help me to rejoice in your victory just as much but help me to also remember that somewhere in this world other Christ followers are suffering for their faith. Remind me to pray for them everyday. Thank you that you have a perfect plan for me that covers my mistakes with grace and uses all of it for my good and Your glory.