Love God Greatly: BeatitudesSample

In a deeply broken and sinful world, it is easy to become overwhelmed with suffering and succumb to fear. When our perspective is limited to the earth, we will have anxious hearts. Yet God commands us to be strong and not fear and offers a mighty promise: He will come to save us. An earthly perspective will always leave us filled with fear, but an eternal perspective will give us hope. God's promise to us is that in our persecution, in our suffering, in our doubts and our fears, He is with us. Our suffering is not a sign that He has abandoned us, but a reminder of the promise He has made to redeem our broken earth, to end suffering and death, and reconcile us to Him forever. We can choose not to fear—not because we push down our feelings and put on a brave face, but because He is our strength and our hope. God, thank You for Your promises! Thank You that You are faithful to come to our aid and rescue us. Help me to have an eternal perspective that believes in Your promises and faces suffering with hope.