Hope in Hard Times
Colossians 1:24-29
December 3, 2023
God chose to make known the riches
of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
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Life can be hard. Pain, loss, need, sickness, and death are real. We have relational and spiritual needs. There are wars and rumors of wars.
The Apostle Paul knew suffering. He left everything behind to follow Jesus. Because he served Jesus, he was frequently imprisoned and often beaten near to death. Five times he received forty lashes minus one. Three times he was beaten with rods. He received a stoning but survived. Three times he was shipwrecked and adrift at sea. He faced dangers traveling and often went without food and water.
Despite all he faced, the Apostle Paul dared to write, "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake." He had discovered a great hope that cast a whole new light on his life and purpose. He proclaimed something people had not seen, Christ in us! A great hope of glory. Because of this great hope, Paul lived with the energy that this hope powerfully inspired in him, so that we too might experience this same hope and share it with others.
