What hope can be found in the world we live in today? This world is on a downward spiral of hatred and cruelty. In ourselves, we don’t have the answer. Our only hope is that Christ will make all things new. We, as Christians, are not to focus on the present-day suffering, but on the glory which shall come. Refuse to allow suffering to cloud the glory of the hope of the Gospel. Don’t look at what we can see--this is only temporary. Look with the eyes of faith to the eternal things. Don’t focus on the suffering of this world--it’s not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to us. When we consider the world and begin to feel hopelessness, we are not weighing things correctly. Our only redemption is the redeeming work of Christ. All of creation is awaiting this redemption. The hope of final salvation is nothing short of redemption of the whole creation. All of creation is united in groaning and suffering under the curse of sin and this will continue until the promised time of redemption and restoration. Look with hope to this coming redemption! The hope of the Gospel is the victory through our Lord. Redemption is coming so be the hands and feet of God in this world now! The hope of future deliverance will uphold us in trials. We do not now have this full salvation, but we have the first fruits of the Spirit as a guarantee that this full salvation will come! If we saw this hope now, we would not need faith. You have need of perseverance and endurance though, so live by faith now! Do not cast away your confidence! Continue to seek to do the will of God. Stop focusing on the sufferings now and see the more weighty glory which shall be revealed to us.

What hope can be found in the world we live in today? This world is on a downward spiral of hatred and cruelty. In ourselves, we don’t have the answer. Our only hope is that Christ will make all things new. We, as Christians, are not to focus on the present-day suffering, but on the glory which shall come. Refuse to allow suffering to cloud the glory of the hope of the Gospel. Don’t look at what we can see--this is only temporary. Look with the eyes of faith to the eternal things. Don’t focus on the suffering of this world--it’s not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to us. When we consider the world and begin to feel hopelessness, we are not weighing things correctly. Our only redemption is the redeeming work of Christ. All of creation is awaiting this redemption. The hope of final salvation is nothing short of redemption of the whole creation. All of creation is united in groaning and suffering under the curse of sin and this will continue until the promised time of redemption and restoration. Look with hope to this coming redemption! The hope of the Gospel is the victory through our Lord. Redemption is coming so be the hands and feet of God in this world now! The hope of future deliverance will uphold us in trials. We do not now have this full salvation, but we have the first fruits of the Spirit as a guarantee that this full salvation will come! If we saw this hope now, we would not need faith. You have need of perseverance and endurance though, so live by faith now! Do not cast away your confidence! Continue to seek to do the will of God. Stop focusing on the sufferings now and see the more weighty glory which shall be revealed to us.

The Gospel speaks to us where we are, and it speaks against cultural barriers and expectations. Paul wrote to Christians in Corinth where worldly wisdom and rhetoric was valued --for the purpose of gaining influence and power. The wisdom of the Gospel though challenges what gives us worth and what our worth is. Our worth is not derived by the culture’s standards or our accomplishments. Find satisfaction and fulfillment in Christ! The Gospel clashes with our perspectives. The message of the cross is foolishness and weakness to show us that we are weak and frail, but we live in the power of God. We may fear that giving up our worldly wisdom will leave us helpless and powerless, but the Gospel calls us to embrace our weaknesses because it is when we are weak that God will lead us. The cross is true power, and gives us grace. The grace of the cross encourages our weaknesses. Realize the depth of your need and see that the Savior of the world came to change you! Your weaknesses and limitations will show others the power of Christ, and glorify God more than you trying to be freed from your limitations on your own. Therefore, there is no mistake in where you are right now, or what you are, or what your worth is now in the culture. Your strength is made perfect in your weaknesses. Do you see yourself in this context? Your deepest need in weaknesses and infirmities is not a quick fix or way out, but realizing how Christ can be glorified through your weaknesses. God doesn’t use us when we are self-sufficient because no flesh will glory in His presence. Learn to delight in God, even when you don’t fit into the social norms and expectations. You are complete in Christ!

The Gospel speaks to us where we are, and it speaks against cultural barriers and expectations. Paul wrote to Christians in Corinth where worldly wisdom and rhetoric was valued --for the purpose of gaining influence and power. The wisdom of the Gospel though challenges what gives us worth and what our worth is. Our worth is not derived by the culture’s standards or our accomplishments. Find satisfaction and fulfillment in Christ! The Gospel clashes with our perspectives. The message of the cross is foolishness and weakness to show us that we are weak and frail, but we live in the power of God. We may fear that giving up our worldly wisdom will leave us helpless and powerless, but the Gospel calls us to embrace our weaknesses because it is when we are weak that God will lead us. The cross is true power, and gives us grace. The grace of the cross encourages our weaknesses. Realize the depth of your need and see that the Savior of the world came to change you! Your weaknesses and limitations will show others the power of Christ, and glorify God more than you trying to be freed from your limitations on your own. Therefore, there is no mistake in where you are right now, or what you are, or what your worth is now in the culture. Your strength is made perfect in your weaknesses. Do you see yourself in this context? Your deepest need in weaknesses and infirmities is not a quick fix or way out, but realizing how Christ can be glorified through your weaknesses. God doesn’t use us when we are self-sufficient because no flesh will glory in His presence. Learn to delight in God, even when you don’t fit into the social norms and expectations. You are complete in Christ!

The only hope for this world is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Salvation is by Christ alone. God chose Christ before the foundation of the world to be the Savior. We are accepted in Christ by faith alone. Nothing in this world will save except Jesus Christ. Everything else is futile, powerless, and foolishness. Our idols, false gospels, politics, education, medicine, and technology can do nothing in our hearts to save us from sin. There is no hope to be found in any man, or any work we do. The Reformation was the recovering of the Gospel from the teaching that salvation was found in anything else besides Jesus Christ. God is now calling us to exclaim the Gospel to this generation that is believing in other things to save. False gospels cause internal strife and confusion, but only Jesus can bring rest for our souls. Christ came for those who are humble, poor in spirit, and who realize their need for a Savior. When you are broken, discouraged, disheartened, don’t run from Christ--run to Christ! He will supply all the grace needed to rekindle the fire in your heart. Realize and grow in your dependence upon Christ for every moment. Go to Christ by faith and you will receive victory. Hope in this--Christ will never fail! He who has began a good work in you will complete it. Christ came as a new covenant to the people--one of regeneration of the heart and transformation of the life. Salvation relies entirely on the work of Christ because we can’t do anything in ourselves. We are born in bondage to sin. Even faith in God is a gift from God. No false gospel or idol could possibly save, and God will not share His glory of salvation with anything else. To God alone be all the glory!

The only hope for this world is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Salvation is by Christ alone. God chose Christ before the foundation of the world to be the Savior. We are accepted in Christ by faith alone. Nothing in this world will save except Jesus Christ. Everything else is futile, powerless, and foolishness. Our idols, false gospels, politics, education, medicine, and technology can do nothing in our hearts to save us from sin. There is no hope to be found in any man, or any work we do. The Reformation was the recovering of the Gospel from the teaching that salvation was found in anything else besides Jesus Christ. God is now calling us to exclaim the Gospel to this generation that is believing in other things to save. False gospels cause internal strife and confusion, but only Jesus can bring rest for our souls. Christ came for those who are humble, poor in spirit, and who realize their need for a Savior. When you are broken, discouraged, disheartened, don’t run from Christ--run to Christ! He will supply all the grace needed to rekindle the fire in your heart. Realize and grow in your dependence upon Christ for every moment. Go to Christ by faith and you will receive victory. Hope in this--Christ will never fail! He who has began a good work in you will complete it. Christ came as a new covenant to the people--one of regeneration of the heart and transformation of the life. Salvation relies entirely on the work of Christ because we can’t do anything in ourselves. We are born in bondage to sin. Even faith in God is a gift from God. No false gospel or idol could possibly save, and God will not share His glory of salvation with anything else. To God alone be all the glory!

We all have a desire for a sense of fulfillment in our lives. We may seek fulfillment through work or different causes but these things are unfulfilling. The key to fulfillment is to seek our happiness in God alone. Isaiah, in this passage, cries to the people to come and be satisfied in the Messiah. He tells them to stop looking for fulfillment in things that won’t satisfy because this only brings discontentment. When you feel unsatisfied, what do you turn to? Satisfaction will only come from Christ. We have no reason to continue to cling to our idolatry. Refuse your habitual patterns to find satisfaction and come to Christ. Be intentional in seeking the Lord and set the highest value on Him. Continue to realize your deepest need because when we see that we are insufficient in ourselves, this draws us to God. Forsake your own ways and return to the Lord, and He will abundantly pardon. Seeking the Lord is a whole life realignment. Forsake your thoughts that are against the Gospel and that lead to fear and bondage. Come to God’s grace and find rest for your soul! Reject yourself and allow a total reformation of your life--especially your thoughts. If you continue to hold on to your thoughts and ways, it shows that your expectations of God are small. God desires to show you how great He is and what He is able to do. Be willing to submit your plans to God. Don’t be fearful to go beyond what you don’t understand. God uses our regrets, insecurities, pain, and sufferings, to bring us to a sense of helplessness and impotency to draw us to Himself. There is a satisfaction that only comes from God. See your fulfillment in God’s work, plans, and ways.

We all have a desire for a sense of fulfillment in our lives. We may seek fulfillment through work or different causes but these things are unfulfilling. The key to fulfillment is to seek our happiness in God alone. Isaiah, in this passage, cries to the people to come and be satisfied in the Messiah. He tells them to stop looking for fulfillment in things that won’t satisfy because this only brings discontentment. When you feel unsatisfied, what do you turn to? Satisfaction will only come from Christ. We have no reason to continue to cling to our idolatry. Refuse your habitual patterns to find satisfaction and come to Christ. Be intentional in seeking the Lord and set the highest value on Him. Continue to realize your deepest need because when we see that we are insufficient in ourselves, this draws us to God. Forsake your own ways and return to the Lord, and He will abundantly pardon. Seeking the Lord is a whole life realignment. Forsake your thoughts that are against the Gospel and that lead to fear and bondage. Come to God’s grace and find rest for your soul! Reject yourself and allow a total reformation of your life--especially your thoughts. If you continue to hold on to your thoughts and ways, it shows that your expectations of God are small. God desires to show you how great He is and what He is able to do. Be willing to submit your plans to God. Don’t be fearful to go beyond what you don’t understand. God uses our regrets, insecurities, pain, and sufferings, to bring us to a sense of helplessness and impotency to draw us to Himself. There is a satisfaction that only comes from God. See your fulfillment in God’s work, plans, and ways.

Jesus, at the height of His ministry, rebukes the people for not repenting. Christ had not met the people’s personal needs and expectations, so they were unwilling to come to Him. They were looking for a different Gospel that was all about them and the here and now of this life. We all can be tempted to fall prey to this temptation to reduce the Gospel to something that just meets our needs. Christ knew that sin could only be removed by the true Gospel--not by a gospel driven by politics and the culture. The tragedy of our generation is that we refuse Christ because He is not doing what we want Him to accomplish. Does Christ and the Gospel meet your expectations? God will hide the Gospel to the wise, and reveal it to the children--those who are simple-hearted and have faith. Wise men seek to be righteous by themselves instead of submitting to the righteousness of Christ. Our generation has been deceived into thinking that we can save ourselves, as well as the world. But all of these things will fail because this earth is still under the curse and every sinner is dead without Christ. The only hope for this generation is a renewed heart. If we get wrapped up in trying to save ourselves and this world, we will lose sight of the true Gospel. We will think that we can save ourselves by what we’ve done, but it’s only by faith that we are saved. Every other gospel to establish your own righteousness by yourself will be a burden. Lay down your load and receive the rest of Christ instead. We were not meant to labor and be heavy-laden, but to rest in Christ, and in His work on the cross. Only in Christ will we find rest for our souls. Come to Christ by faith and learn from Him.

Jesus, at the height of His ministry, rebukes the people for not repenting. Christ had not met the people’s personal needs and expectations, so they were unwilling to come to Him. They were looking for a different Gospel that was all about them and the here and now of this life. We all can be tempted to fall prey to this temptation to reduce the Gospel to something that just meets our needs. Christ knew that sin could only be removed by the true Gospel--not by a gospel driven by politics and the culture. The tragedy of our generation is that we refuse Christ because He is not doing what we want Him to accomplish. Does Christ and the Gospel meet your expectations? God will hide the Gospel to the wise, and reveal it to the children--those who are simple-hearted and have faith. Wise men seek to be righteous by themselves instead of submitting to the righteousness of Christ. Our generation has been deceived into thinking that we can save ourselves, as well as the world. But all of these things will fail because this earth is still under the curse and every sinner is dead without Christ. The only hope for this generation is a renewed heart. If we get wrapped up in trying to save ourselves and this world, we will lose sight of the true Gospel. We will think that we can save ourselves by what we’ve done, but it’s only by faith that we are saved. Every other gospel to establish your own righteousness by yourself will be a burden. Lay down your load and receive the rest of Christ instead. We were not meant to labor and be heavy-laden, but to rest in Christ, and in His work on the cross. Only in Christ will we find rest for our souls. Come to Christ by faith and learn from Him.