Our Hope and Our Peace in the Midst of Struggle

Jesus is your redeemer.

I hope you believe that.

Christians say that they do. That is what good Christian theology teaches, after all. But do we believe it?

Let’s face it, some days the hill we’re climbing can seem so steep we lose hope that we can survive to the top. Life is hard. Jesus told us it would be. In John 16:33 says, “In this world, you will have trouble.” But he also offered hope to the suffering through His suffering on the cross.

Pain and hardship are unavoidable. Yet, God’s faithfulness doesn’t wax and wane. He is our hope. He is our peace. That’s what Job said.

You’re probably familiar with the beginning of his story. Job was a good guy – righteous, in fact. According to Job 1:1 he was “blameless and upright.” The devil trivialized Job’s faith, saying to God, “Stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (Job 1:11).

Job lost everything: his cattle, his wealth, and his 10 children. Later, his suffering became almost more than he could bear. He cried, “My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth” (Job 19:20).

But immediately on the heels of his grief-stricken lament, Job says, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last.”

No matter what you’re walking through – a minor hardship or a tragic loss – you can know that your Redeemer lives.

Author and speaker – and former Focus colleague – Lisa Harper is joining us via recorded message from one of our chapel services earlier this year. She shares about the journey through heartache and how God moves through our lives in powerful ways.

Join us for “Finding Joy in Pain” on your local radio station, online, on iTunes, via Podcast, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Today, when you make a donation of any amount, well send you a copy of Lisa’s new devotional book, Job: A Story of Unlikely Joy as our way of saying thank you for your partnership! And don’t forget that your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous matching campaign from friends of our ministry. (Check our website for details.)

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, relationships July 16, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura