2 Minutes of Hope April5, 2021
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NKJV
Can you believe it even when you don’t see it?
I can only imagine the look on the disciples faces after Jesus plainly revealed to Him the true purpose of His life here on earth. They were shocked and astonished. It seemed like they would now be able to finally believe in the actuality of the Messiah in which they followed (v. 29).
And then it happened. Everything Jesus predicted came to pass. He was betrayed, abandoned, arrested, beaten, and sentenced to death on the cross. His loyal followers were nowhere to be found. They had scattered, just as he predicted they would (v. 31). All at once, it appears all signs are pointing to defeat.
It’s so much easier to believe in the things we can see.
But that was only the beginning. Three days later, the grave was empty, the resurrected Jesus appeared with the keys of hell in His hands. Sin, death and the grave had been defeated once and for all! Victory was His. The very words of Jesus came to life right then and there when He tells us to, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
If all this had been foretold, why was it so hard for the disciples to believe? Why the disappointment? Why the disarray? Could it be that the very own followers of Jesus Christ lacked faith?
Like the disciples, we too can fall victim to admitting defeat when we’ve already been promised victory. It can be so easy to lose heart, to give up, to think that there is no way out. It’s in these moments where we have to activate our unseen faith.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It’s a faith that trusts if God said it, He’s faithful and just to do it. It’s a faith that refuses to admit defeat. It’s a faith that stands in the face of the already defeated enemy and says, nevertheless, I believe. It's a faith that says, I know that my story does not end in defeat.
Whatever your situation looks like today, take heart in knowing that you can claim the victory in the face of defeat. As Jesus said, “In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
As you go into this week with a refreshed memory of the victory that was achieved through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, remember this: your faith shines the brightest when the situation looks the darkest.
Let's Pray...
Heavenly Father, you are so good to us. Your love for us is so grand, so overflowing, so constant that it cannot be contained or comprehended. As we look to the sacrifice of your one and only Son on the cross, let us take hope today in knowing that we have victory through Jesus’ name.
Thank you, Jesus, for activating in us an unseen faith. Thank you for willingly dying for each and every one of us. Thank you for never leaving me nor forsaking me. It’s in your name that I put my hope, my trust and my faith.
I will decree and declare victory over every situation that I encounter today and this week as I walk in the confidence of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen. Please continue to cover me with your peace that surpasses all understanding as I go forth into this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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