Pray for strength, focus on Jesus
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)
In these days of uncertainty, most all of us are thinking and wishing for the time when this virus has ended. We long for the days when we can visit other people and spend time with friends and relatives. It is becoming more and more difficult to stay inside and isolated from the ones we love.
The writer of Hebrews has a promising idea for all of us. He believes that we should focus on Jesus. In all circumstances and in all situations, He is the core of our faith.
He tells us that Jesus focused in this way in His ministry. He came to fulfill one purpose. That purpose was to redeem humankind from the scourge of sin.
He knew from the time He was a child that He had come to do His Father's business. It was the core of all He did in this world. His love brought Him to Earth.
His love was revealed during His ministry among people. He healed every kind of disease. He comforted the brokenhearted. He drove demons from the oppressed.
The ministry of Jesus was lived before us, leading to His death on Calvary. From infancy, the plan and the focus was clear. He endured the cross, steadfast in His devotion to us.
In this time of great uncertainty, we need to be focusing our thoughts on God. He knows our dilemma. He knows what the end of this is going to look like and when the end is going to happen.
God promised to take us through the valleys of life, even the valley of death. We know what Psalm 23 has to say about this.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
(Psalm 23:4)
We have great assurance that God is here with us. He has this condition under control.Our job is not to fear, but to trust. Our responsibility is to rest in God and in His strength.If we look to the federal or state government, we will be disappointed. The folks leading our country, though they are showing strong and competent leadership, do not have all the answers.Our Heavenly Father is working through these leaders. But we as Christians must focus on our faith. We must focus on Christ Jesus who died and rose again for our salvation. He is the creator and sustainer of all things seen and unseen. His love for us is beyond measure. His grace is enough for every need.We need not fall apart when things are dark. God promises His presence in all these valleys and demanding times.I have been saying for weeks now to myself and to my congregation. We must focus on faith and not on fear.Pray more than you ever have for strength and courage. Pray that God will reveal Himself to you in these strange times.Look for God in everything. When we focus on faith, we can see the hand of God at work in the smallest things.Focus on Jesus. In these down moments, get to know God better each day. Spend time reading the Bible and focusing on the Word of God. Memorize Scripture and stay close to the heart of God.Believe. Trust. Focus on Jesus. He is there and He will take us all through this challenging time.Have faith, my Christian family,
