We Have Hope in the Word of Life

Life can be hard.  It seems like every day I have some burden to bring before God.  Just when I feel I am gaining understanding in one area of concern, another struggle appears.

Raising kids, managing your home, and connecting with your spouse all come with daily challenges.  Throw in financial worries, stress at work, issues with friends and extended family and the list of concerns grow. Now, add loving your neighbor, serving those in need, and praying for your enemy and the daily stress of life seems daunting.

God does not want us to look at life’s struggles without hope, and he definitely does not want us to feel alone in them.

I guess that’s why James writes, “Consider it PURE JOY when you face trials of many kind…” he knew we would struggle.  He knew the world would try and steal our joy.

Jesus even says to us in the gospel of John, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.”

Struggles are going to come, but we have to remember that;

1) Because of Jesus, our life has meaning.

2)  Because of Jesus, we have eternal life.

Our scripture passage today comes from 1 John 5:13-21.  I want to highlight verse 13 for you. “

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

The book of 1 John is one of encouragement. John starts off in chapter 1 verse 1 reassuring the reader that he was an eyewitness to Jesus.  I just love that.  He is reminding us that he was there when Jesus walked the earth.  He saw him.  Jesus is real!

John writes, “…—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us…”  He refers to Jesus as the Word of Life and eternal life.

Jesus brings hope in the midst of our trouble, but most of all he brings life.  He makes our life here have purpose, and one day when our life here on earth is over, the struggle will not have the final word.