“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
Believers of God will face difficult times in these end times, 2 Timothy 3:1. the situation and condition of this world will worsen – an increase of evil, a decrease of moral standards, financial troubles, a decrease of peace and wellness, as well as many false teachings.
As the condition gets worse and more difficult, it will result in people losing their faith in God, and their hearts and minds will be shaken. at that time, what needs to be done?
the word of god reminds us that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. but the Lord Jesus comes to give us life in abundance, John 10:10.
only through Christ, we have new hope that gives us the strength to keep walking in faith until his perfect promises are fulfilled. the lord Jesus is a faithful God, he is able, and he will always fulfill his promises. this is the strong hope we have, Romans 5:5; Hebrews 6:19.
What we need to do is that we must be diligent in our hope for what has been promised. diligent means unshaken and always holding fast to the hope in Christ and truly live in that hope.
How can we be diligent in hope? rejoice in hope, Romans 12:12.
hope is what will give us strength to walk in our faith and obedience of his word. the church in Macedonia is an example of a church who rejoices in hope even though they were in a bad situation, 2 Corinthians 8:1-2. rejoice in all things because the lord will never leave his people who put their hope in him. even in difficult times, he wants to reveal himself as the almighty God who is able.
Second is: be patient in distress, Hebrews 12:2. a woman who had been subject of bleeding for 12 years, spent all of her money for her treatment while she didn’t even get the results she had hoped for. when she heard about the wonders and miracles Jesus did, faith and hope for healing came within her. she heard that Jesus will pass through where she lived. that faith and hope became real when she touched Jesus’ garment. the patience of this woman for 12 years is an example of how we can stay patient in our times of distress. it’s not easy to go through difficult times, but the hope we have in Christ is what will give us the strength to bear it. focus our eyes to Jesus, who can enable us to be patient in difficulties.
Third is: pray diligently, Matthew 7:7. there was a widow in Jesus’ parable who kept asking for mercy from the judge and at the end the judge was willing to defend her case. even though the judge was not afraid of anyone, but because of the diligence of this widow, he ultimately decided to defend her. especially the lord, he will give righteousness to his chosen people who pray diligently.
As the church in the end times, let us be diligent in hope until the Lord visits us. stay strong. God bless.
Source: article from GBI Gatot Subroto, Jakarta