The world is in an uproar. Sanity is blatantly absent, and chaos has taken root. The mainstream media is feeding us lies. Social media is filled with copious opinions, some which may be truth and some which may be lies, with everything in between. Truth is being censored and silenced. People think that posting a frivolous meme will change the hearts of evil men. Some even think they can stop evil and hatred if they themselves commit acts of evil and hatred.
Today, I considered the passage in II Corinthians 4:8-9 which says, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; If I listen to the noise of this world without weighing it against the truth of God’s Word, my state of mind would merely be this: We are troubled on every side,…we are perplexed,…Persecuted,…cast down,… I would need to leave off the parts that say, …yet not distressed;…but not in despair;…but not forsaken;…but not destroyed;
Without eternal Hope, I am left in devastation. Yes, this country is desperately in need of help on many fronts, but mostly due to the lack of godliness. These are the results of a society that has been fed humanistic philosophies for decades and not the principles of God’s Word. Politics will not repair this. Rioting will not change things for good and right. Social media battles will not tilt the scales toward peace. How can I find peace?
I have the Bible, the only Truth which is God’s Word. Yes, I can turn off the avenues to the false hope of this world (television, social media, etc.) and open my Bible. I do not need to live a life merely …troubled on every side,…perplexed,…Persecuted,…cast down,… I can be …yet not distressed;…but not in despair;…but not forsaken;…but not destroyed; because I have Hope!
I have a place of Hope found in Jeremiah 29:11. Here, God reminds us, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Therefore, I can go to that place in verses 12-13: Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
I just need to look for Hope. He already has all of my days planned. All I must do is pray to Him and seek Him. When my heart is fully focused on God and not focused on the things of this world, I will find my Saviour’s perfect peace.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
– Isaiah 26:3
by Tracie S. Burns
