Another mass shooting. Another murder. Another evil act of violence. It’s a shock hearing it, but also sadly not.
Why do things like this keep happening?
I ask that question a lot. Every time I see the ugliness, brokenness and evilness of our world. Our fallen world. I try to make sense of the senseless events that keep occurring over and over.
That’s where the problem lies.
There is no earthly, rational answer to that question. There is, however, one very simple answer we receive from our heavenly Father. We have hope. Hope in Him and only Him. It’s the only answer to that burning question.
There’s More
It’s easy to fall prey to the question game and wanting answers to all the wrong things that happen. We just want to make sense of it and understand how all the bad can take place so frequently.
We don’t have to stay in that place of worry, doubt, fear and uncertainty. Thankfully when we choose to follow Jesus, we have a hope beyond all the brokenness. This hope allows us to see past our fallen world and know there’s so much more waiting for us.
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” -Proverbs 23:18 NIV
Stand Firm
Looking beyond the hurt and brokenness of this world is no easy fete. It’s challenging to rise above our worries and fears, especially when they’re close to home and affect those we love dearly. We have to have courage and stand firm.
When we have the spirit of the Lord living within us, we can allow it to guide us and direct our thoughts and actions. Instead of panic, choose to have peace. Instead of fear, choose to have faith. Instead of worry, choose to be filled with the wisdom of God. If we fill ourselves of those things, we leave very little room for those worldly emotions to creep up.
Acknowledging our hope in the Lord doesn’t mean we’ll never falter or have doubts or fears. It just means we can look past those things and stand firmly in our faith and trust in His great plan for us.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” -Hebrews 6:19a NIV
Hope and Healing
Sometimes the events that take place in our world leave us feeling numb and slightly broken ourselves. We try to make sense of the senseless and it gets us nowhere. Suddenly fear starts creeping in and we start losing sight of what really matters…our hope in Him.
No matter what circumstances, tragedies or situations we get into, we are never without hope. God is never-changing and His promises are always good and true. We can rest assured that we are covered by His love and grace, no matter what.
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” -Psalm 62:5 NIV
Our world may lack peace and a sense of hopefulness most of the time, but we as believers can remain hopeful. Our hearts will begin healing and the things that are covered in abundant darkness will only make us yearn for heaven more. That hope can never be taken from us.
Don’t dwell in the sadness and turmoil. Surround yourself instead with the Word of God and cling tightly to His truth. He loves us. He surrounds us with His infinite grace. He brings healing. He is our strong foundation. He cares for us deeply. Most importantly, He is our hope in all things.
Hope Misplaced
Sometimes we feel a lack of insight, understanding or truth about God, but in reality, we just misplace our hope.
Our hope in Him at times get’s pushed aside by the false hope we place in other people and things. It’s easy to let ourselves forget what real hope is and where it’s found. We must stand firm, however, in God’s Word and let it refuel us over and over again.
Let’s continually remind ourselves of who God is and His never-ending power. He overcame death and died for each and every one of us. We can place our hope in Him because He’s promised us eternal life. That is way more than anything we can hope for on this earth.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” -1 Peter 1:3 NIV
God of Hope
We know our Father is a loving a merciful God. He blesses us and pours His wisdom upon us, and we also know we are saved through the blood of His Son, Jesus.
Therefore, we must know that we have a God of hope.
The hope we have in Him comes from our understanding of who He is and the promises He makes. We can believe all we read in Scripture, when we place our hope and trust in Him. We can overcome our fears with peace and our doubt with hope.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13
Our God is a God of Hope. Through all we face in life, we can stand grounded in joy, knowing our hope in Him is greater than all else.
In Conclusion
Don’t let your fears, anxieties and unending, unanswered questions cloud your vision of God. The world is broken and full of evil, but our God is not. He is perfect, loving and full of grace. His light will always outshine the darkness.
He doesn’t promise us an easy road in this life, but He does promise an eternity of peace. We can all rest in the comfort of that promise and place our hope in Him. It’s the only answer.
Sarah Belanger | Sincerely Anchored
Did you write this just for me? 🙂 I needed this reminder. You mention my life verse (Hebrews 6:19) and my blog is about living with hope. This fits along with what God has been working on in my own heart. Thank you!
groundsandgrace.com
I did write it just for you. 😉 I’m glad it was fitting for you and what God’s working through you right now. He’s been working through this in my heart as well. Thanks for reading my post! I really appreciate your feedback. 🙂
Rachael Anderson
I love your post. It has SO much truth! Our God is amazing!
groundsandgrace.com
Thank you so much!! I agree…our God is pretty amazing! I love what He teaches us and how He blesses us so abundantly. Thanks for taking time to read my post! 🙂