February 23, 2025
Greetings and blessings to all of you. I love the passage in Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” What an imagery! But in that- we find comfort…Amen. We must never forget that in this world of sin sadness and suffering not everything will work out the way that we want. That is why in hard times and good times, we should have a Scripture or two that we can hold on to in our heart. For example, in Prov. 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight” that verse can take you a long way when you are in a financial turmoil. It would do all of us well if we go back to the stories of God’s people to remind us of God’s unwavering faithfulness, his sovereign providence and abounding grace and mercy. When we trust in the Lord and nothing else, we are in essence understanding that life is difficult but since we walk by faith and not by sight and we have the Holy Spirit we are living with a Hope that is not of this world but a Hope that is found in Jesus Christ who gave us a new life; when He was raised from the dead and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father. Remember, our Hope is not a feeling; it is a mindset fixed on God that informs our feelings. Our Hope is trusting God because of who He is and what He has done as we await the fulfillment of all His promises now and throughout eternity. So in times when life is throwing lemons, we must preach to ourselves, “Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Ps 42:5-6) Some people as well as unbelievers will say “everything is going to be all right.” But for the unbeliever this hope is in vain. Not everything is going to be okay in the end for those who do not know Christ. We have been rescued from God’s wrath and redeemed by his grace. However, in the meantime God does gives “common grace”; that is undeserved blessings and mercy to all people regardless of who they serve. That grace does not grant Salvation…but it gives them a kind of hope until they meet Christ…until then we have the Hope that is “ Reality.”
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC