June 4 devotion

By Rev. Dr. Rusty Baldridge
, Associate Pastor for Community Outreach & Benevolence, at the Cathedral of Hope UCC in Dallas, TX

God Has Been There!

 

Troubled times are times that bring us to the basic foundations of our faith.  When things are good and everything is going just fine, we tend to let the demands of daily living push our relationship with God to the back seat. But when the time of trial comes, we very quickly turn our hearts and minds to the God.

Jesus Christ is the solid ground of the Christian life when all else is crumbling.  When the events of life are so disturbing that people wonder if anything makes sense, Jesus is God's "Yes!" to people of faith.

Because of Jesus, we can trust that things will get better.

Because of Jesus, the destiny of all God's children is assured.

Because of Jesus, even death can not separate us from the love of God

How many times have you heard the phrase, "You can't understand until you've been there?"  What an amazing, wonderful truth that when we encounter times of extreme trouble, God has been there!   One of the striking things about the Christian faith is the affirmation, "... and the Word became flesh and lived among us."  One of the most popular hymns of all time contains these words:

"Have we trials and temptations, is there trouble anywhere, 
We should never be discouraged, take it too the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful; who will all our sorrows share, 
Jesus knows ________________ (you fill in the blank with your prayer request) 
Take it to the Lord in prayer."

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is
and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  Rev. 1:8

As we move through the days of our life, may this simple confession of faith fill your heart and your mind and provide strength and encouragement in the good times and especially in troubled times!

Amen!