Always seek to strengthen your faith. Especially in a world today where there are so many things that distract us from things of God, we have to put all the more effort into finding God amid it all. We are at a crossroads. Either America will continue to be secularized, and the eighty percent of children that do not belong to a church will turn to ninety percent, and before long there will be almost zero young people left in the church, or we will fight the increasing social norms and put more effort into finding God and into helping others find God. God forgives us, which gives us confidence in our ability to approach God. But this does not absolve our responsibility to others. As we wait for Christ to return, our task at hand is to be persistent in prayer, consistent in community, and coexistent between the already of the kingdom of Jesus here on earth, and the not yet of the full realization of God’s kingdom on earth. We may wait for a year, two decades, or five centuries. But while we do, we can keep our sense of thanksgiving. We can keep our confidence in prayer. And we can help others to do the same. If we do not do these things with urgency, however, we are never truly ready for the return. May you always be happy with your efforts, which you have all the more reason to increase. The world, after all, is increasing its demands and distractions from a religious lifestyle. May all glory and honor be with God’s name. May God help us remain steadfast in faith. May we be able to trust that God always hears our concerns. Hannah is a perfect model. When she was distressed and the world was distressed around here, she prayed all the more.

1 Samuel 1 and Hebrews 10