Skip to main content

I Hoped For Good But...

I’m not sure about the context of the verse but it sure seems to represent one of humanity’s deepest cries of despair since mankind first walked the earth.

“I hoped for good but evil came…”

“I hoped for light but darkness came…”

Those words are from the book of Job, chapter 30 and verse 26.  While these words were written several thousand years ago, they seem timely for us today as it appears now, more than ever, that evil is permeating our world and darkness is enveloping it.

Is there hope?  Can good hold back the onslaught of evil?  Can light dispel the darkness?

The short answer is that God knows.

The long answer is that only God knows.

While we don’t know what God knows, we do know the following about us as individuals:

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”  (I Peter 5:10)

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  (Phil 1:6)

And while we don’t know what God knows about the entire earth, we do know the following:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”  (Rev 21:1)

“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘“Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”’ (Rev 21:5)                                  

While the onslaught of evil is great and the encroaching darkness is very dark indeed, we do have hope.  There is one who knows the beginning and the end.  He knows that there may be suffering for a little while.  But He is in the business of restoration, of bringing all things to completion and making all things new.  And we know His “business plan” will succeed because He promised such things will be done! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excel Still More!

To excel, according to some of the meanings from a few dictionaries, is to surpass others, do extremely well, outdo, do something better than anyone else. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, we find the phrase “excel still more”.   It prompts the question:  if we are already doing something better than anyone else, why would we be encouraged to do even more? Perhaps it would be helpful to see the wording that other translations use for “excel still more” to see why we would be encouraged to do so.  Here is a sampling: • abound more and more • to keep doing so more and more • but try even harder • live that way more and more. • that you progress even more. • that you increase more and more in how you ought to walk Maybe it would also be helpful to see some other verses where the word “excel” is used: “Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.”...
Post a Comment
Read more

Value Proposition

Value proposition:  it’s a marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service.  It should clearly and concisely communicate what customers can gain from selecting a particular brand over that of its competitors. In a value proposition, you don’t want your product to be viewed as being worth less than what your competitors offer.   But even worse, in a bit of a quirk of how letters and spaces can fall, if you take out the space between “worth” and “less”, you get “worthless”, which means something of no value.   If that word is used in conjunction with how your product is viewed by customers, it’s a word that will likely kill your brand. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul, in a sense, communicated some value propositions. In chapter three, he starts off with describing the value of some things that many considered as extremely valuable in that day and age.   They had to do with status and achievement in the reli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open Immediately

The envelope had a specific command prominently printed on the outside.  It said “Open Immediately”. Immediately normally means now or without waiting; without interval of time. The envelope also had a company name prominently printed on the outside.  It was “Endurance”. Endurance normally is t he ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity; the ability to keep doing something difficult, unpleasant, or painful for a long time. There are times when we want God to respond immediately, as without interval of time: “ But you, O Lord , do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!”  (Ps 22:19). And there are other times when we are glad that God responds slowly, as in sustained over a long time:  “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord , the Lord , the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger , abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Ex 34:6) Intentional or not, the printing on that envelope was a contradiction in te...
Post a Comment
Read more