Don’t lose hope
Is our faith lived in the future? Well, it should be. There is danger in living for the moment; for the now. When we pray for God’s will in our lives, how much do we prepare? Do you believe God has something great in mind? Well, prepare for it. Do we believe that God ordains world governments? It says so in Romans 13:1-8 and 1 Peter 2:18ff. Why don’t we talk politics in church? Is it not on the basis of faith in line with God’s will that we pray? Let’s prepare by contributing to a process that secures the best interest of all. We pray for God’s will all the time. Why can’t we be contributory to it? We pray for change, let our conduct be for the affect of change. Faith without works is . . .?
Pray according to God’s will, and He hears us. Revelation 8:1-6 are the prayers of the saints under the altar which brought the hand of God to move. James 5:13-18 mentions the fact the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The example of Elijah and his prayer concerning rain is used. We are reminded that Elijah prayed and the rain stopped. He prayed again and the rain resumed. Jesus said that there are demons which can only be cast out through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:28, 29).
The people of Israel, during the days of Gideon, complained, murmured, grumbles, and rebelled against the LORD because they were living in the PRESENT. The satisfaction of their immediate needs was in the front of their thinking. All the Hebrews needed to do was walk—in faith.
Jesus called us to a future, not a reconditioned past. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Revelation 21:5, “And He Who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things NEW.’”
Now, think about this. Can we affect the life of another? Yes. Can we contribute to the sanctification of another? YES. Did you ever think about how a husband and wife can preserve each other in their matrimony? The Bible is clear. It is important to understand that faithful marriage secures the benefit and blessing of both spouses and their children, to facilitate the blessings of God. 1 Corinthians 7:14ff,
“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”
Now consider 1 Peter 3:1-2, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.”
How would living for the needs of the future change our way of thinking? I think our time would be managed a lot more efficiently.
Proverbs 24:13-14, “My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.” It’s plain. To secure our hope, we must find the good and the sweetness in wisdom.
