Whenever I am worried, I remember that where there is life, there is hope. Because we are alive, there is hope for healing, deliverance, restoration, redemption, and everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven.
Hope has enemies, however, such as discouragement and fear. If we only feed upon worldly information, we will become discouraged and afraid. As a result, fear will immobilize us in an emotional prison.
The Good News
Thankfully, where there is life, there is hope.
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” (John 8:31-32)
To be Christ’s disciples who are made free by the truth, we must abide in His Word and not immerse ourselves in the world’s lies. How much of our time do we spend watching and listening to the world’s media, compared to the time we spend reading and meditating upon the Scriptures? The answer to that question reveals our relationship with Christ.
Do we know Jesus, or do we only know of him? Are we seeking or neglecting him? Do we put forth an effort to follow him, or do we disregard him throughout the day? The answers to these questions will reveal our spiritual health, whether it is weak or strong.
If our spiritual fitness is anemic, there is still hope, however, because we have life.
The Power in Now
The only time we have is now. We can’t do anything about yesterday, for it is gone. We can’t do anything about tomorrow, and worrying about it is counterproductive to living fully today. Worry freezes us in fear, keeping us from the freedom to walk with the Lord Jesus.
We can decide now to take one step closer to Jesus—to freedom from fear. We can choose to open the Bible and ask for understanding as we read.
If you read the Bible and ask God for understanding, don’t be discouraged if revelation doesn’t immediately explode within you. Drawing closer to the Lord involves effort.
A Treasure’s Value
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field” (Matthew 13:44).
If something is lying on the ground, waiting for anyone to come by and pick it up, it usually doesn’t have much value. Things hidden in the earth, however, such as diamonds, are precious because they require significant effort to find, mine, cut, polish, and set.
The treasures of truth and freedom in the Bible are valuable because they, too, require effort and sacrifice to seek and find. Look at the man who found the treasure hidden in a field.
“… which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).
Our Most Valuable Currency
The more we value the kingdom of heaven as a great treasure, the more we’ll be willing to “pay” for it. We can begin right now to purchase it with our most valuable currency, which once lost, can never be restored—our time.
Whenever we say “Yes” to something requiring our time, we need to evaluate what we will be saying “No” to. There are many good things to say “Yes” to, but only one that is best to invest in—everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven.
We need to be aware of how we invest our time and not neglect the greatest treasure of all—following Jesus into his heavenly kingdom.
Begin Now
Now is the time to say “Yes” to God’s Word, the Bible. There are many resources online, such as BibleGateway, to help us in our quest to find the Truth—the living Lord Jesus. As we seek his treasures in the Bible, he will set us free from the enslavement of discouragement, worry, and fear.
No matter our current condition, where there is life, there is hope. And now is the only time we have to do something about it. Let’s say “yes” to God’s Word.
