Faith, Hope and Joy! Count Down Day 15
In three of my favorite versions of the Bible, the titles of
Romans 5 are as follows; Faith Triumphs in Trouble, Faith and Hope, and Faith
Brings Joy.
'Faith is trusting in a great big God who can move mountains,
calm seas and take care of us, sure that’s the song I love to sing' my daughter taught it to me years ago after a Vacation Bible Day Camp. It is a fun song, but more
than that it is the truth I try to live each day. I sometimes fail. I am human after all.
I try to trust God but there are life things that get in the
way, and I begin to feel small, unable to accomplish a task or unworthy of it.
Then I am not trusting God to do it with me, or for me even. Faith does triumph
in troubles, like when we have to cry out to God to fix problems that are out
of our reach.
And faith and hope come together so that the trusting part
gives is hope for the help or answer to come when it is needed. The best thing
that happens is when faith brings joy! When we see that our faith in God to
complete a task, or to show us the truth of a thing and then it is right there
happening; such unspeakable joy can envelope our heart and mind. I think that
when the shepherds saw the angels, and were so afraid that faith triumphed over
that fear because they left the field and went to see what the angels were
talking about. They hoped it was true and when they got there and saw the babe
just as they had been told, lying in a manger bed, they were of such joy! Joy
to the World! That song we sing at Christmas tells us the story. Read the
scriptures below and think about what great faith, hope and joy brought them to
a place of peace.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in
the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly
afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will
find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a [d]manger.” And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and
saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men
Luke 2:8-14
That same faith to see the truth, is the faith in Christ the
Savior, our Savior. When we accept the fact that Jesus is real, and want Him to
be our Lord, then we are made righteous before God by faith. The Word tells us
this below!
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by
faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done
for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of
undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look
forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems
and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will
not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has
given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:1-5
Trust Him to lead you and help you grow through all you go through-- in His
love,
Teresa Wilon