Hope

Comfort From Experience

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When faced with new situations, it’s amazing how quickly we seek help and guidance from those who have been there before. From mundane tasks like trying to fix a broken air conditioner to far more serious things like the death of a parent, it doesn’t take long for us to get advice from those who have walked the path ahead of us. Of course, situations differ and just because one person has been through a similar circumstance (especially one of a serious nature) doesn’t mean that our experience will replicate theirs. However, we take comfort from the fact that we are not alone; others have walked a similar road and have arrived safely on the other side.

It’s because of this tendency to surround ourselves with those that can commiserate in our circumstances that we should take such solace in the truth of Hebrews 4:15. In that verse, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Although we may be most likely to focus on the second half of that verse which describes the sinless life our Savior lived, the first half should provide assurance as well. Jesus is not unfamiliar with the circumstances in which we find ourselves. He has dealt with them; He has “been there,” and therefore He knows exactly the grace and the strength that we need to navigate safely through the trials we face.

We may be well aware of this truth, yet fail to appreciate the power that it contains. We think of God as being “up there”  – removed from the inconveniences and the hurts that interrupt our days. But God didn’t just stay “up there.” He walked this Earth. And while the times were different, the challenges were the same. He contended with them, just like we must. And just as He did, our goal should be to do so in a manner that gives glory to the King.

So the next time we are faced with an unfamiliar circumstance, we would do well to turn first to the One who not only knows what we are going through, but can provide us the way through it. While we are often quick to listen to the fallible advice of our friends, we should instead first seek the perfect wisdom of our Savior. As we do so, as we look to Him, we should take comfort from the fact that He knows what we’re going through, and we should have confidence that we can rely on Him.

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Hope

Safely Conquered

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It doesn’t take long in our lives before we understand the concepts of “winning” and “losing.” Perhaps it’s the competitive nature of the society we live in, or perhaps it’s simply that human beings are apt to make comparisons between what we are able to accomplish and what others are, but we are quick to claim victory when it looks to be ours. Even young children playing hide-and-seek shout with exclamation when they have “caught” someone and thereby win the game.

The problem with this proclivity is that we tend to establish our relationships on the same dynamic. We think that in order for someone to “win,” someone else has to “lose.” Perhaps there is no more detrimental arena for this mindset that with our relationship with Christ. We read passage of Scripture about losing our lives (Lk. 17:33) or being led as captives (2 Cor. 2:14, NIV) and it grates against our inclination to want to be independent creatures. We want to be the victors, and we fear that in giving up “our” rights to ourselves and becoming instead “enslaved to righteousness,” (Rom. 6:18) we will no longer be able to claim this title for ourselves.

However, as A.W Tozer reminds us there is no safer capture than when Christ takes hold of our lives. He writes:

We might well pray for God to invade and conquer us, for until He does, we remain in peril from a thousand foes. We bear within us the seeds of our own disintegration… The strength of our flesh is an ever present danger to our souls. Deliverance can come to us only by the defeat of our old life. Safety and peace come only after we have been forced to our knees… So He conquers us and by that benign conquest saves us for Himself. 

In other words, while we think of conquering as defeat, when Christ is our captor, He saves us from defeat. It’s when we rely on our own abilities and strength, instead of trusting in His refining power, that we are truly vulnerable to attack. When we allow Him to conquer every area of our life, than we are safe.

And in addition to all this, God, in His great mercy, promises that those who are in Christ, will be “more than conquerors” over the earthly trials and foes that seek to detain us. He will protect us against their attacks, not allowing one thing to separate us from Him. While the battle may be fierce, His power is stronger still. And He will hold us safely, held captive by His love, until He brings us Home. 

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