Words of Hope and Comfort in this Trying Times

In the past few weeks, my Facebook feed has been filled with posts from friends sharing about the death of a loved one, sickness, financial difficulties, and many other problems.

What made matters worse was that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in their respective places prohibited them from visiting their loved ones. It was a case of being so near, yet so far.

I empathize with my friends living far from family, a common predicament for migrant families in NZ and elsewhere.

The pandemic and its impacts caught us all completely unprepared.

However, I would like to share these verses that give me faith, hope, and strength to overcome whenever trials come.

Proverbs 10:25

If you’re facing various “storms” in life, stand firm in the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who said in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to us as well.

Romans 8:35-39

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We should never boast about our possessions or life’s possibilities because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. However, we can always be grateful for His mercies and grace today.

Let us hold fast to the truth that beyond the sunset, there is a sunrise to another place, perhaps an even better place.

May this short reflection give you hope and strengthen your faith. May the Holy Spirit give you wisdom as you go through life’s challenges today and in the days ahead.

Jonan