Take Courage, There's Hope In Jesus Christ

During the 2012 Christmas season, we sang songs of peace and hope, such as "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night." As we sang those songs, "all is calm, all is bright," did not describe the condition of our nation. 

Nearly two weeks before Christmas, a 20-year-old man fatally shot his mother at home, and then shot 20 children, ages 6 and 7, and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, before turning the gun on himself. In late October, a hurricane-turned-superstorm affected 24 states and left a path of death and destruction. Some survivors of Hurricane Sandy are still grieving over the death of their loved ones and dealing with loss of their property. In June, a gunman killed 12 people, injured 59, and then killed himself at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.  

Not only did these events leave our country in mourning, it left grieving family members and close friends wondering how will they ever move on with their lives. You may have had personal disappointments and heartaches that were not made public, but still left you feeling fearful and hopeless.

As long as our world lies "in sin and error, pining" as the Christmas song, "O Holy Night" says, more events will occur for which we have no explanation, leaving us to scratch our heads and wonder, "Why did God allow this to happen?" Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., says that while this is an important question, God has always been "in the midst of pain…and…redeems pain for good because God is a redeemer." Click here to read more of Pastor Stanley's response to this question. 

We can ask this same question when we read in Matthew 2:16 about King Herod ordering the execution of all boys under the age of 2 years old. King Herod was infuriated because the astrologers, or wise men as they are also called, did not return to tell him where they found Jesus, the "King of the Jews" (Matthew 2:1)  Fearing that Jesus would become a rival to his throne, Herod wanted Jesus killed.The massacre of young children was pure evil. Yet, it's the same evil that is in the world today.

Despite this evil, hope is still in the world today through Jesus Christ. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, hope lies within you (1 Peter 3:15), regardless of your circumstances. Jesus promised in John 14:16 that we would have His Holy Spirit to comfort us and be with us forever. The Bible does not say we will live a blissful life while we are on this earth. In fact, Jesus told His disciples that life would be difficult. 

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world, John 16:33, New Living Translation. 

While it's our religious custom to view Jesus as a baby at Christmas and as the suffering Savior at Easter, in order to get through the tough times, we must see Jesus as He is now: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In Revelation 1:13-14 (NLT), the Apostle John records seeing our Eternal Messiah Jesus clothed in white, with a voice that "thundered like mighty ocean waves" and a face "like the sun in all its brilliance."

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look–I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave, Revelation 1:17-18, NLT.

This is our hope–Jesus Christ– the hope for 2013 and beyond. Jesus promised to return for His people and until that time, our hope and trust must be in Him.  We will not always understand why certain things happen, but we have Someone who can comfort us when we are confused and when our burdens get too heavy to bear. We should not despair, but hold on "while we wait for the blessed hope–the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," Titus 2:13, NIV.

In 2013, may the peace of God, which goes beyond anything that we can understand, guard your heart, thoughts and emotions through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7).