Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

God is our strong refuge; He is truly our helper in times of trouble. For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea.  Psalms 46:1-3 NET

The worldwide outbreak of COVID19 in 2020 has many looking for a hope in life and death. Or more likely, many of us desire a hope to spare us and those we love from death. That all must die, no one can be in dispute, but a so-called “premature death” by accident, illness or disease is what we long to avoid. If we die, we long to do so old and gray.  So as the world searches to find a cure, a vaccine to be discovered, it is hoped the virus will pass from among us like a whimper.

Until then, we live under the heavy weight of the fear of death, and a pandemic stirs up the dread.  So when the inescapable feels closer than expected, many wonder — perhaps for the first time — where can I place my hope for life and death? When a neighbor or a friend asks, do we have the words ready to spring from our lips that makes all the difference: Jesus Christ, our living hope.

Christians, let’s strive together as we soften our hearts to His children for it is salvation He is offering, eternal life... Are we ready to lovingly receive those who repent of their sin and welcome them home to join and/or return to the family of God? Can we be equally gracious to the offender if the offense is against us? In the face of God’s amazing grace given to each of us, may God help us to understand that we are all God’s precious children and that His love and kindness is sufficient for all of us. 

2020 has ushered in a dramatic, worldwide, period of change, of uncertainty, of wondering what is next. But we also feel a deep call to be faithful to God in the process. To obey God’s voice speaking to our hearts through the scriptures and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Now is the time to remember the first thing we know about God, and the first thing we know about ourselves.  It is Jesus Christ alone. He alone is our great hope in life and death.  There is no other name by which men, women, and children can be saved. Christ alone —He is the blessed hope that we wait for. He is the One we live for. He is the One we die for. He is the One who has been raised from the dead to prove that He is above all, trustworthy with that possession more precious than all the world has to offer: our souls. So whether we live or whether we die, Christ is our living hope. 

{tweetme}God is our strong refuge; He is truly our helper in times of trouble. For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea.  Psalms 46:1-3 NET{/tweetme}