Tag: when you feel hopeless

Hope in a Hopeless World?

Lisa Preuett

Hate. Racism. Senseless deaths. Cold-blooded murder. Unthinkable tragedy.

In the midst of a nation spiraling down quickly, our hearts are certainly weighed down with grief that fills the air.

Waves of fear engulf us, leaving us drowning with no seashore in sight.

Raging with a fierce, righteous anger, we demand justice. We rally together against the evil, making our voices known. Boldly we discuss the best solutions for fixing this wicked world.

But when all is silent and nobody is around, there’s a question I believe we all are asking.

Where is my hope?

Is it in the police force?

The political candidates running for president?

The guns hidden under the bed?

The promises of the government?

Where is your hope?

Who or what are you clinging to when everything familiar and what used to be stable comes crashing down?

If it’s anything in this world, you will come up empty. Even a hefty savings account isn’t going to hold you together when evil chokes the life out of anything promising.

As followers of Christ, we should not be surprised at the spiraling down of this world.

Jesus tells us very plainly in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart because I have overcome this world.”

I love the way Jesus tells us like it is. He doesn’t sugar coat the situation.

Doesn’t say you might have trouble. Doesn’t say if you just read your Bible and pray enough you’ll avoid trouble.

He says we WILL have trouble.

Sometimes I get stuck on the first part of this truth and camp out there for a while. I allow my troubles to define me and dictate how my life will be lived. I turn off the news in disbelief and let myself be overcome with fear and despair.

But the next part of this truth should awaken hope in the depth of my soul! He says to take heart because HE has overcome this world. 

The apostle Paul makes it plain for us in more detail about the kind of trouble we will see play out in this world. See if any of this sounds familiar:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

Yep. This passage covers just about everything we see playing out in our nation today.

So I ask you again…Where is your hope?

Even as Christians, we might say our hope is in Jesus–but we silently doubt.

Our lips may say our trust is in Him, but out of fear we attempt to control our future. We cling to our jobs, money and possessions a little too tightly.

But look at the truth of Romans 8:38 and let it sink in:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. (NLT)

Death is all around us in a nation that doesn’t value life. But God’s love is stronger.

The enemy is on the prowl, deceiving many people. But God’s love is stronger. 

Fear grips us as we wonder what will happen to our children. But God’s love is stronger.

Worries of how to survive the aftermath of tragedy weigh us down. But God’s love is stronger.

On a more personal level, I’ll peel back the layers of my own heart.

Will another maniac show up in my town, randomly killing people I know? 

Will my loved ones fall prey to the enemy’s lies and turn away from God?

Will my 12-year-old daughter be safe in a world I can’t always protect her from?

How will we survive the next tragedy that strikes closer to home? 

While I might ponder these questions simply because I’m human, I choose not to linger there.

I will choose to cling to the truth of who Jesus is. I will choose to anchor my hope in the unfailing love of God. Yes, His love is stronger. He is sovereign. Even when I don’t fully understand all that will play out in this world, I will trust Him.

I live in a hopeless world. But my hope is in the unshakable love and power of my Heavenly Father.

Where is your hope?

hope

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

 

The Truth is in the TREES!

Lisa Preuett

After surviving the sub-zero temps of winter and trudging through mounds of snow, we’re anxious for spring! All winter long, many trees around us have been in a dormant stage….as a means of survival. Before we know it, the once-barren branches of winter will gradually blossom with budding leaves. Leaves that will pop with vibrant shades of GREEN. These are the trees we anxiously await for signs of change.

The official name for this kind of tree is deciduous.

These types of trees were designed by our creator to shed their leaves for part of the year. In our area of the country, these trees lose their leaves in the winter and re-grow them in the spring.  This re-growth process is the evidence that spring has arrived! But before we know it, these same leaves will slowly change. They’ll be splashed with bright autumn colors of red, orange and yellow. Then they’ll fade and wither to the ground again.

Deciduous trees are always changing. They never stay the same.

These deciduous trees are a symbol of US! We are constantly changing. Life is changing all around us with each passing season. We too have seasons where we’re thriving. Flourishing. Our fruit blooms vividly. Life is good. No complaints. But then the season changes. We barely survive the barrenness of a drought. Some seasons are mundane and we’re just surviving. Just when we grow comfortable with life as it is, things change. Again. And again.

But there’s another kind of tree we observe. The evergreen. Unlike the deciduous trees, the evergreens keep their leaves ALL YEAR LONG. Even through the most freezing temps and harsh winds of winter, these trees stay the same. Even in the heat of summer, they stay the same. They always keep their leaves!

The Evergreen trees are symbolic of our amazing God!  He. Never. Changes.

Our God is the same yesterday, today and always. Throughout every season of our life, He remains the same. Through the good, the bad and the ugly. He never changes. Even when life is swirling out of control before our very eyes? Even when the unthinkable happens? Even when we feel most unworthy and unlovable? Yes. You can count on it.

It gets even better. Don’t miss this!! Do you notice that the evergreen trees aren’t just contained in one place away from the deciduous trees? Look again…..

mixed trees              mixedtrees2

 

The evergreen trees are spread out among the deciduous trees. Mixed in with the barren trees of winter. I don’t think for a minute that this is random. It’s not an accident they are placed like this.

These trees point to a powerful truth:

GOD      IS       WITH       US!

If you look closely, this beautiful picture is all around us. Screaming silently for us to open our eyes and see this powerful symbol of how our incredible God is not watching us from afar in a distant land. He’s not planted in a separate location afraid to come in contact with us. He is truly WITH us.

Dead_tree

This picture is a powerful symbol of how we feel sometimes when life appears hopeless. Barren. No sign of life. No visible fruit. Yet surrounding this lifeless tree you see evergreens! Too many to count. Looks like they go on and on. Forever.

How can we look past this and not see the personification of God speaking loud and clear through His creation? This picture above is shouting for all to hear, “I see you. I am with you.” 

Once God opened my eyes to His truth through the 2 kinds of trees, I can’t keep it to myself. It’s hard to even express it completely with words. (I’ve almost driven off the road a few times gazing at these trees!)

I pray He will open your eyes too, dear friend.

Look all around you and never forget that no matter what season of life you are in, whether it’s thriving or barren, God is with you.

Hebrews 13:8  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Matthew 1:23  “….and they will call him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us’ “

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett