Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:18)
“Your grandson has been missing for four days.” As I learned the news, I went numb. My mind raced with all the possibilities of what could have happened to him. The police were called and time began to go by slowly as we waited for word of his whereabouts. My family discussed what could have gone wrong and where he might go. No answers came.
Dark days come to all. Cancer strikes. Teenagers rebel. Hope fades, and doubts arise. Tragedy strikes every family. How you respond determines growth or despair. For the believer, you have hope that God can turn a tragedy into a triumph, poverty to riches, pain to glory, and defeat to victory. Believers have THE HOPE, Jesus. We have the hope of forgiveness for those who are lost and unsure of eternity and confidence in who Jesus is—omniscient, omnipotent, and sovereign. We also have the hope that he is coming again. We will live with Jesus for eternity. We can count on these promises, even if the circumstances don’t change.
My granddaughter was my encourager during those hours. She came home from preschool singing, “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There is nothing my God cannot do” over and over. As I listened, hope and peace returned to my soul. Yes, my grandson was missing, but I had found the source of my comfort and joy: Jesus!
Anticipate divine appointments to share the hope you have in Christ.
Yolanda Moore is a retired school teacher, a women’s group leader, Bible teacher, and former state co-coordinator for the Christian Motorcyclists Association.
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
