What is certain? Are you absolutely certain about anything in the future? I am. Are you certain about what will happen today? I am not. What makes you certain? Let me tell you what God taught me about how certainty brings hope.
I have depended upon a verse in the Bible for many things in my life because I am certain that what it tells me is absolutely true. Luke 1:1-2,4 says, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (ESV) I Peter 1:25 says, “But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (ESV) It also is useful in helping me to know what I ought to do and why I ought to do it. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12, (ESV) and All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) This brings me hope because it gives me direction and stability no matter the situation.
I am also certain about the fact that I am loved by God and can never be separated from His love, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (ESV) It is amazing to me that God has chosen to love me even though I certainly do not deserve His love. I have not come close to being perfect in my life. I have at times been disobedient, stubborn, resistant, self-righteous, arrogant, rude, and unfaithful towards God, but through all of that He has been faithful towards me. He has loved me despite my actions. In fact, God has loved us all from the beginning of time. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)
I am certain that even though I do not know exactly what will happen in the next minute of my life I do do know that God will use every moment of my life to make me better. James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (ESV) I do not know about you but for me I desire to be perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing and in that I find great hope. There are many more reasons that certainty brings me hope but I do not want to make this too long. I would encourage you to explore for yourself what the Bible says about certainty and see for yourself that certainty brings hope.
I pray that you will join me in being certain about your future. In doing so you will find hope. We need to be certain in the fact that God loves us so much He sent His Son Jesus that we might certain that we have eternal life. In doing so you will find the only true source of hope. Remember though that all sin is forgivable except the sin of unbelieve in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for my sins and yours as well. It satisfied all my sins from the past, in the present, and in the future. My penalty and yours were satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because wisdom shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here. eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press