THEME: “TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, TOUGH PEOPLE DO”
Read Hebrews 12:2
JESUS OUR EXAMPLE IN ALL WAYS
Key Verse: “We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!” (Hebrews 12:2 TPT).
Jesus, our captain knew what tough times meant, and therefore, he is our perfect example of how to navigate through tough times. Jesus tasted suffering; he knew what rejection meant. He experienced pain. He suffered humiliation and, therefore, he is in a better position to teach us how painful tough times could be and how to recover from it.
Jesus looked beyond the sufferings he went through to the joy that was set before him. The Passion Translation Bible states, “Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!”
We are always beclouded by the present situation and tend to lose sight of the future. During tough times, we want immediate relief and may be tempted to compromise our standards, values and beliefs. Tough times are when we must try to look beyond the immediate into the future. The future expectations and reward help us to go through suffering.
The times we are in now will never last. COVID-19 with all its limitations and anxiety will not last forever. God has a brighter future ahead of us no matter the pains and loss we are going through now. It is not unexpected to see one’s world crumbling because of hard times. But such times don’t last. You will get over it.
PRAYER: LORD, thank you, for you are my hope and strength for getting over these tough times.
