The prophet Jeremiah was a man well acquainted with heartache. He once prayed that his eyes would be like rivers so that he could adequately weep over the sins of his people. One can hear the tremendous despair in that tone. It raises a pertinent question: How do we get beyond the circumstantial control of contexts that seem to carry prevailing currents of adversity? After all, nobody can survive levels of adversity that go continually beyond us. One only needs to examine the colossal losses of the Covid Culture to illustrate my point.
I often hear commentary from American church leaders such as, “The American church will never recover from the losses of the pandemic.” By “losses” I presume they mean the norm of congregational participation they enjoyed before Covid, particularly their routine of faith and practice at that time.
Often when we lose our equilibrium, we lose our center. For Christians, that can lead to catastrophe because our center is Christ. To lose sight of Him means we lose everything, for “by Him all things hold together.” So, beloved friends, let’s re-center on the direct object of our faith—our great God! Hear His voice today: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). No doubt Jeremiah faced cultural adversity. But the center of his life was God. The context belonged to Him. And, if the context belonged to God, He would give His people hope despite their struggles. Oh, how we in America need that word today!
If God is our center, He will impart hope. He has never lost sight of His plan—a plan that is best for our future. Facing difficulty frequently is the plan God uses to prosper our relationship with Him. And that greatly increases our capacity to love and trust Him. So, sisters and brothers, let’s keep our eyes on the prize. The One who purposes to give us hope!
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the Francis Asbury Society held a prayer service for hope and healing. I believe it was the best time of prayer in my life! You can participate in that meeting on our Facebook page. I know you will want to be a part of the sacred answer for victory in our nation. Please click the link and join us in praying for awakening in our country.
Also, we need your help to sponsor our mission to Empower the Nations. This conference will be held at Asbury University in July of 2023. We are now raising scholarships to bring in young people from 50 countries on six continents. This will be one of the most significant spiritual conferences in our nation. But we sincerely need your help to make it happen! Would you prayerfully consider making a gift? We need your partnership today! May our Lord continue to give you His grace as you keep Him at your center—a center of hope!
Your friend and colleague,
