Lord Jesus, I found out last night that an old friend of mine from high school passed away from COVID. Her brother passed a day before her. God, I hope she knew You! I'm saddened by the fact that I honestly don't know if she knew You, Lord. She always liked my posts on Facebook that were about You, but that doesn't mean she knew You. Gosh!
This morning I got a message from a friend that said her friend lost her son last night. I can't even imagine the pain the family and friends are going through. This world has so much pain and heartache. Just think of all that we deal with on a daily basis, from family and friends to the news of the world problems: COVID, Russia, Ukraine, China, our own government. The feeling of no hope.
What are we doing? Lord, we pray for healing, we pray for peace.
We look at people and think, “Oh, I'll get to them sometime,” or “They don't want to be bothered right now. Besides COVID is going around.” Huh? Oh, we are good at helping at the local shelter or handing out food to people in need, but do we care about their souls? Sure, all of this is good. And maybe, just maybe, someone will come to the Lord through one of these charities. But will they?
Some people have no hope and no idea what hope even is. But our hope is in the Lord. What do they have?
You might say, “I'm really not comfortable talking to people about Jesus. That's not my thing. I'm not an evangelist or preacher. They will hate me if I share my faith.” Or you may say, “It's too hard to ask them to church.” Another good one is, “They will see how good I am, and then they will know about Jesus.” Really? I'm 62 years old. Do you know how many people have said they know Jesus because I was good? None. Zero. Nada. Then again, maybe I'm not good enough. But no one is good enough. Only Jesus!
The truth is, the whole world Is hurting. There is too much junk in our heads, being fed to us through all kinds of outlets like social media and TV. The enemy is having a heyday with us. When will it stop?! When we stop listening to the junk! We truly are being hand fed daily by a liar that loves to kill, steal, and destroy us. He knows if he tells a lie long enough and loud enough, people will believe it.
But we have a hope – Jesus! If you are a Christ follower, we can do something! “What?” you might ask. Pray. Get closer to God. Ask Him to show you how to love others the way He does. Share Jesus with others, be kind to one another, don’t be self-focused. Some people want nothing to do with Christians because they see how we treat each other. I am speaking to myself as well. I am no better than anyone else.
I don't know if you have ever seen “The Passion of the Christ.” It’s a great movie. There's a scene where Jesus is carrying His cross through the streets. He falls, His mother comes to Him, and He looks straight into her eyes, saying, “I make all things new.”
When I first saw that scene, it hit me. I couldn't stop sobbing. Although I was a Christian long before the movie came out, for many years I still felt discarded, damaged, dirty, and worthless. In that moment watching that scene, Jesus was looking straight at me saying, “I make ALL things new, including you.” WOW! Ladies, although it may not look the same, I hope that everyone has a moment like this with Jesus.
“Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5
With all that is going on in the world today, people need to know they are not damaged goods. God loves them. He wants them to know He can make them new. They don't have to feel dirty or discarded like worthless trash. They mean something to God. He sent His Son to make them new!
Maybe today you needed to hear Jesus say, “I can make you new. I will be with you through the pain and the heartache you are going through. I love you! And I won’t stop pursuing you!”
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us (first) and sent His Son to die for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
He sent His Son for You. He loves you that much! You can believe it today. Believe me, I know what it feels like to hurt emotionally and physically. And I know without a doubt He loves me, and I know without a doubt HE LOVES YOU! Yes, I still struggle with depression, but I'm not alone. Jesus is with me through it. He will never leave me. He won't leave you either.
My prayer for you is that the God of peace and love will touch you in a special way. And if you don't know Jesus, ask Him to come into your life and forgive you of your sins. He will! Not only will He forgive you - He will remember them NO MORE. You no longer have to live with guilt and shame. The God of the Universe Loves you that much.
And if you know God’s love, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your hope with someone who is hurting. Send this blog post to them or talk with them about Jesus.
If you want to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, or if you would like some free resources to help you share the Gospel, drop by or contact The Connection.
Deb Cool
Deb Cool is passionate about Jesus and women’s ministry. She currently leads a women’s small group through her church, LCBC Waynesboro.Deb has been married for 44 years to the love of her life, Rodney. They have awesome sons who have beautiful wives. And they are blessed with nine amazing grandchildren.
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