“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the
breastplate of faith and love,
and for a helmet the hope of
salvation.”
— 1 THESSALONIANS 5:8 (NRSV)
To enjoy this day and this
night,
This existence wherever I
am,
Is to say... that in spite,
Of struggles I don’t give a
damn.
I’ll look with glee in
order to see,
The Spirit of my Saviour by
might,
All to Him, I will gaze,
And enjoy His every delight.
***
Although we, as believers, are people of the
day, there is the matter of choice as we choose our attitude for the day and for
the night. What will it be? Do the struggles define us, or do they refine us?
As children of the day, we stick with the character faithful to the day – we
are steady on our feet, and, though we may stumble, we do not fall for the
night’s tricks.
Do we struggle? Yes we do. But that’s not
the end of the matter.
When we move on, and keep moving forward, in
spite of the struggles; we win the moment... the hour... the day... the week...
the tumultuous season.
Keep looking up!
And as we keep looking up – finding
ourselves affirmed by a revelation that is communicated via the powerful Holy
Spirit in us – we find we are vindicated, saved, and redeemed in our moments,
afresh. It’s a glorious reality that is likely to inspire us to tears of joy
for the faithfulness of God in giving us the hope – out of our pragmatism to
take the Lord at his word!
When Nothing Can Defeat Us
The words of latter Romans 8 ring through our ears as we recall that
which is set on defeating us is cause for our repealing victory – because we
looked heavenward, yet acted with feet placed firmly on terra firma.
We added to the resplendence of our heaven-gazed
hope a realness of wanting to do all that needed to be done. We focused on the
process, not the outcome; we trusted God with that. We left it with him
entirely.
When nothing can defeat us, because we have an
unstinting frame of faith-bridled perspective, we are the humblest force to be
reckoned with. What Jesus showed us in his death – that, death is the way to
life – we replicate, though not quite literally.
***
With hope we cannot be defeated. Even out of the
jaws of death comes the one who relies trustfully and unflinchingly on hope.
That hope is borne on Jesus of Nazareth – the Son of God – the Saviour of the
world. In Jesus is everything for a pragmatic hope that works – that reverses
misfortune and makes for the best out of the worst circumstances.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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