NACR Daily Meditation for Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

17 Jul 2003 07:00:02 -0000

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NACR Daily Meditation for Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

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Then they led him away to crucify him.

Matthew 27:31

There are days when we find it difficult, if not impossible, to sustain
hope. The day of Jesus' death was such a day. It was a day of despair for
all who had put their hope in him. It was a day of unbearable grief for
those who had been changed by his love. In such terrible moments hope disappears.
Darkness seems to be all that remains. God seems absent.

It is, however, one of the most fundamental convictions of the Christian
faith that, in those times when hope seems unattainable, God is at work.
In that moment when even Jesus had a difficult time sustaining hope in God's
redemptive purposes, God was fighting the decisive battle which would extend
the rule of the Kingdom to all peoples. In that moment of terror, the foundations
of reality were exposed and God was at work on the deep structures of the
world. God could do work at that moment which would have been impossible
during ordinary times.

Much the same is true of our moments of hopelessness. It is when hope
grows weakest that our foundations are most exposed. It is when the struggle
to sustain hope is most difficult that God can work on the deep structure
of our persons. It is at those times that God can reach the unreachable
crevices of our hearts and work on regions where fear and despair seem to
reign.

It is a terrible thing to lose hope. But all is not lost. Though we lose
hope, God is still at work. It may be that during our season of hopelessness 
God will extend the rule of the Kingdom of God into new regions of our lives.

In those times when I cannot hope, Lord,
help me to remember the work which
you accomplished during Jesus' hour of darkness.
Remind me, when I lose all hope,
that all hope is not gone
because you continue your work in me.
Extend the rule of your kingdom
into the deepest regions of my heart
where fear and despair have reigned for too long.
Amen

Copyright 1991 Dale and Juanita Ryan

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