Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Deuteronomy

Finding Hope

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Where are you finding hope these days? Perhaps a first question should be, “Where are you looking for hope?” More and more people are rejecting the authority or even the existence of God, and then wondering why depression and suicide are on the rise. There can never be genuine hope outside of God. Once we deny Him, there is no hope remaining.

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As apologist William Lane Craig has said, “This is the reality in a universe without God: there is no hope; there is no purpose.” So, if you are trying to find hope while leaving God out of the equation, you are fighting a losing battle. You will find your only hope—in fact, the only hope of the world—in Jesus.

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Election Day

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The day after this post publishes, it will be election day in the United States. Each election cycle in recent memory has grown more vicious, more distasteful, and more divisive. It’s not a good trend. I don’t care if you are an Independent, Libertarian, Republican, or Democrat, if you are reading this blog I hope you are finding your identity in Jesus Christ and nowhere else.

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The day after election day, half the country will rejoice, and half will be on the verge of despair. If you can believe the media (a dicey proposition these days), civil unrest will follow the election regardless of results. As followers of Jesus, this is our opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around us and around the world.

Please recognize no matter how dire the apocalyptic warnings preceding the election, no matter how violent the social media-fueled response to the results, our hope is in the Lord. Neither candidate will usher in the Kingdom of God. Only Jesus will do that. The President of the United States will never be the savior of the world. History shows our lives won’t change dramatically over the next four years. Some experts are saying this election is different, and the effect of the results will dramatically alter the trajectory of our country. I don’t know who is right. I do know Jesus is the same today as He will be the day after the election and for an eternity to come.

We do a disservice to the glory of Jesus when we as His followers put politics before the mission of Christ. Our mission will always be to further God’s Kingdom here on earth. This won’t change, no matter the extent of our freedom. We must keep our eye on the ball. Jesus must remain our focus. If our freedoms increase after the election, we must not squander the opportunity to be the light to a broken world. If our freedoms retract, we must shine brightly through persecution just as our brothers and sisters around the world do every day.

Voting is an enormous privilege and responsibility. As an American, please exercise this right and go to the polls to cast your vote after praying for wisdom and guidance. Be thankful we have this wonderful opportunity. After voting, I encourage you to pray for peace, soberness of mind, and civility. As a nation, we are desperate for an intervention of God’s grace and mercy. Pray this election will lead many more to come to Him. That is all that matters.

On election day, do not fear. Love God and love others. Do not be afraid to go to the polls. It is the Lord your God who goes with you into battle (Deuteronomy 31:6). Rejoice in insults and persecution (Luke 6:22-23; John 15:19-21). Understand Jesus endured the same, and by going through this, you are identifying with Him. The most important thing I want to impress upon you is to keep your eyes on Jesus and your identity firmly grounded in Him. We cannot control the outcome of an election, but we can rejoice in being part of God’s elect. Our time on this earth is brief (James 4:14) and we should spend our days reflecting Jesus and telling others of His amazing love. We will spend eternity in His presence. Focus there. This world will pass away. Jesus remains. Jesus rules in power. He loves you, and that will not change based on who is in the White House.

When Discouragement Strikes

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Discouragement hits us all. In our fallen world, no one gets a free pass through life without encountering discouragement from time to time. We feel overwhelmed and aren’t certain how we can get it all done. Too often, the support system around us lets us down, which only adds to our discouragement and despair. During these seasons, it’s difficult to even pray. While we know it is the quickest way out of discouragement, our prayers have trouble escaping from our lips, and even when they do, they seem to hit the ceiling and bounce back down.

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In our discouragement, we can feel helpless, and at the brink of despair. In these moments, it is helpful to remember and recount how God has been with you in the past and take encouragement from knowing He will continue to be with you on the other side of this temporary bout of discouragement.

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But God

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While following Jesus is never easy in this world, it can seem to be when life is running smoothly. If you have a job, shelter, health, and all your needs covered, the blessings make it easy to thank God for His provision. But what about when the storms come? What happens when you lose your job, your health fails, you fall behind on your rent, and you’re uncertain how you’re going to buy groceries next week? Where is God then?

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Praising Him for your situation gets tougher when it feels like the bottom is falling out of your world. It’s in these times God’s love and provision become even more obvious. As He walks with You and provides for your needs, you realize it is all Him. Where your efforts fail, He steps in. Hope seems lost, but in ways you least expect, God provides.

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Uncertain

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Everyone seems to use the term “uncertain times” these days. It’s not as if any time has ever been certain. There are always new challenges to face and tough decisions to make. When life seems uncertain, we can take great comfort in knowing our God is never uncertain and always in control. Those aren’t just nice platitudes, but definite truths based on who He is. God is the same today as He has always been and will always be (Hebrews 13:8).

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There’s a steadiness to Jesus that brings peace to our hectic and crazy world. While we encounter situations every day where we have no idea what to do, Jesus always knows the perfect response. He has a plan for every contingency of every contingency. We serve a steady God, One who is never overwhelmed.

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