‘Even if everything around you is falling apart; even if you’ve been given the worst prognosis; even if there seems to be no hope… do not fear; do not be anxious; lift up your eyes to Me.’ How can God expect us to follow such instructions?
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus is with us! He lives in us! “Christ in you – the hope of glory,” Paul wrote. Jesus urges: ‘Live in this truth! Be bold; do not be afraid! I am the Conqueror! If I am with you, why should you fear? Don’t you know I am above all? Even in death, do not fear… because I am with you.’
I cannot overcome without His presence; fear is a constant enemy. But Jesus says, ‘Don’t give in to it.’ He has given us what we need. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (II Timothy 1:7)
God works in unpredictable and mysterious ways as He helps us overcome. The disciples were fearful as Jesus told them He was going away. He gave this promise: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)
I want to thank Steve Wolf for all his help with The Journey over the years. I sent this writing to him on Tuesday, checked into the hospital on Wednesday, and should have already started chemo by the time you receive this email. I hope to write again in a few weeks. The doctors say I’ll be in the hospital at least a month. Thanks for all your prayers and love. Paul wrote the words below to help us run the races we’ve been given. I pray He blesses you and your families richly in every way!
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For Your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:26-39