No Matter What

We never know what tomorrow will bring.  This has always been true and even with all our technology and advances, there is still so much in our world we have no control over. Who hasn’t been alarmed the past week or so by the speed our world has completely changed? We are living in very uncertain times and we are being confronted in a new way with our finiteness.

In a time like this our emotions can go haywire. We have all had to sort through a whole range of emotions this week; everything from fear that we are in a pandemic, disappointment over cancelled plans and disrupted schedules, worrying about and missing loved ones we can no longer visit, to panic over the possible long-term effects of the Coronavirus.

Where do we turn for comfort? How can our heart and mind still be at peace in the midst of all the chaos around us? How can our feet still remain on solid ground?

It is by thinking upon and treasuring the gospel of Jesus Christ!  I know that is the typical Sunday school answer but please let me explain.

In a number of ways this week, God has guided my thoughts to the cross. I’ve been led to remember how Jesus took the condemnation of my sin against a Holy God upon His own shoulders, died the death I deserve to die and conquered death through rising from the dead; and offering complete forgiveness if I will turn from my sin and trust in Him alone to save me. It is so easy to take the good news of the gospel for granted and forget that it is good news for every day of my life, including the dark, hard days.  The gospel is what makes having peace with God possible and the gospel is also the fuel we need to remain steadfast in trials.

How can we know once-for-all that God is for us? It is because He didn’t even spare His own Son for us! God promised us a rescuer when sin first entered the world in the Garden of Eden, and Jesus is the one and only that was able to become sin for us for He Himself knew no sin. The cross is proof that God is in perfect control in the darkest of circumstances and is powerful and loving enough to work all things for good for those who love Him. This week I couldn’t help but think of how panicked and afraid the disciples must have felt as they watched Jesus being arrested, abused and mocked, and dying on the cross.  The days between Jesus’ death and resurrection must have been brutal for them.  They couldn’t see what would happen. For us who know the end of the story, we miss out on the intense despair the disciples must have experienced. They had given up everything to follow Jesus and now they felt so defeated that they returned back to their old occupations. (John 21:3) Yet in all of His mercy and compassion, Jesus revealed Himself again to them and as a result, all of the disciples spent the rest of their lives declaring the good news of the gospel.

I don’t want to imply that we should belittle or ignore what is happening all around us or that we won’t experience any feelings of fear or weariness. Instead by reminding ourselves of the precious truths of the gospel, we will be enabled to have the hope and confidence we need to live these days in wisdom; to seek to use these days for the glory of God and for the good of others. When our emotions threaten to overtake our hope, we can go to the firm foundation of God’s word and be reminded of our Savior’s incredible love and care He displayed to us so that we can call on His name and be saved. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us, we have a firm and secure anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:19) In His presence there is fullness of joy so I pray we will use these “social distancing” days to fill our minds with God’s Word, music and other things that remind us of the good news of the gospel! When our hearts are troubled, let us look to Christ for comfort. Whatever the coming days may hold, we can be sure that nothing, even if our worse fears do come true, will separate us from the love of Christ. Jesus will always be our light and salvation no matter what. Therefore, we are able to say “it is well with my soul” in each step of the journey.