Picking Up the Pieces
It was off the coast of England, during World War II, that a U.S. submarine was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat. Immediately, the Americans sent out a distress signal. That signal was received by allied forces, who immediately dispatched a rescue ship. But when it arrived at the place where the sub went down, all they found was an oil slick and some floating debris.
Divers were sent down to locate the sunken sub and determine if there were any survivors. The divers took out their knives and began tapping on the side of the submarine, hoping to hear a response. And they did. From within the submarine came a distance tapping which the divers recognized as Morse code. “Is there any hope?” was the plea of those men trapped inside.
Is there any hope?
That’s a question a lot of people are asking in our world today. In many ways, it’s the question of the ages, a question men and women have been asking for millenniums. When life tumbles in, when dreams are shattered; when all of our plans turn to dust and ashes, we can’t help but ask the question - “Is there any hope?”
Is that where you find yourself this holiday season? Are you struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of your life? Are you desperately searching for hope? If so, I’ve got good news for you - God may not put the broken pieces back together again, you may not be able to return to the past, but you can look forward with confidence to the days ahead.
There is a passage of Scripture in Romans, and I’d like to share it with you. Read it slowly and think about what it is saying -
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)
When we suffer for whatever reason, whether it’s something we’ve brought upon ourselves or circumstances beyond our control, our faith is challenged. But as we endure the pain, looking to God in our weakness and doubts, something begins to take shape in our spirits, and God begins to forge deep within us, character. The Greek word used in this passage translated “character” refers to the purging of dross and the purity of metal after it has been placed in the fire.
“When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold,” is how Job describes what God is doing through his intense suffering. And Job’s long days of suffering and hopelessness gave birth to a new life and an eternal hope.
That’s my prayer for you this week as we celebrate Advent and light the candle of hope. Each night, as Sherri and I light the hope candle on our Advent wreath, we are praying for God’s hope to be poured out through Jesus on those who struggle with hopelessness during this Christmas season.
In Christ,
Dan
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