- Taste and see that the Lord is truly good (10/22/23)
- Sharing in the eternal glory of God (10/8/23)
- An attitude that is like Christ’s attitude (10/1/23)
- Through it all, God is always with us in the deep (9/24/23)
- There is no rock like our God (9/17/23)
- Becoming '7 x 70' people (8/31/23)
- Through God’s grace, we have become witnesses (8/27/23)
Jesus is our living hope
Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
This verse gives me an incredible amount of comfort in the days we live in. I have spent the last week meditating on this verse. The reason being, there are several things competing for the occupancy of our minds and a steadfast spirit is not one of them.
A steadfast mind is a desire that has to be intentional. John wrote in his gospel that he had written these things, so that we would believe that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing in him we may have life in his name.
I was recently looking at someone’s profile page on Facebook and noticed that every post was argumentative. Every post was accusing of others and assuming the motive and attitudes of others.
At the same time, we have been constantly told by this person how happy they are with their life. I quickly realized this person is far from happy. They show no fruit of peace and no fruit of happiness. In fact, they are miserable, meaning two things may be happening here. Either this person does not know what a true life of joy looks like or they are not being honest with themselves or anyone else.
The truth is that one day this pandemic will cease. One day the riots will come to an end. One day the election will be over. However, life and peace in Christ Jesus never ceases to exist. Romans 8:11 says, “If the spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the spirit who dwells in you.”
If Christ reigns in us, then there is a hope of glory that lives in us. If this is the case, then we need to choose life over fear. We need to choose life over hate. We need to speak life instead of words that divide. Every time I write for this article, I have a question running through my mind, “How does what I am writing support better communities?”
The answer to that question for this month is this — I want to encourage the “community of believers” of this truth. Trust in the Lord forever, for he himself, is the rock eternal.
If we choose to have minds that our steadfast, then we ourselves become promoters of a perfect peace that only comes through Jesus Christ our living hope.
Dave Truncone is the pastor of First Assembly of God Church in Van Buren.
Editor’s Note: This is a regular series featuring area religious leaders writing about faith, family and community. To participate or suggest a church, contact us at dailyarmericanrepublic@gmail.com or 573-785-1414.
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