Hope That Lasts: A 5-Day Devotional by Lifewater预览

Hope in Hard Situations

Martha's conversation with Jesus was expectant, filled with true belief, but perhaps limited in imagination. She witnessed the depth of Jesus' love when He wept for his friend, and then the height of His power when He brought Lazarus out of the grave. Martha experienced fear, disappointment, grief, confusion, and doubt, but through it all, she kept talking to Jesus.

True faith is forged in the fire of adversity. Jesus never promised a trial-free life: in fact, He promises the opposite. We are told that in this world we will have many troubles, but not to be afraid because God is always with us. We can know that even in difficulty, when we experience fear, disappointment, or doubt, God always loves us tenderly, and never loses hope in us.

We will experience everything Martha did, but still God invites, even demands, our honesty, and in exchange we can expect to be surprised, even amazed. God invites us to develop a more vibrant imagination, one that hopes in the midst of difficulty.

Illness from water-borne diseases impact much of rural Cambodia—particularly children. But clean water and healthy habits bring new hope. “Before I engaged with Lifewater, my children would have high fever and intestinal problems,” says El Lot, a poor widow from a rural village. “Now my children have good health and so do I.”