5
"L
ord, it seems like the world is on fire!" is simple
prayer expresses the hearts of so many of us as the harsh
realities of a fallen world have been on full display this past
year. Unspeakable brutality and unrestrained hatred plague the
birthplace of the world's great monotheistic religions. Intractable
poverty and corruption continue to enslave the poor. Disease
ravages nations that are ill equipped and under prepared to
protect their people, and the threat of a worldwide epidemic on
an increasingly connected globe has moved from the screens of
apocalyptic movies to scenes on the nightly news.
"Indeed, Lord, it seems like the world is on fire!"
Fear is the natural response to the uncertainty and danger of a
world on fire. But the believer in Jesus Christ is not called to
live in fear. We have the privilege of stepping into a world on
fire with biblical hope. Although we tend to use the word hope
to describe what we wish would happen, biblical hope is the
confident expectation that God's promises will be fulfilled.
In every way, the birth of Christ embodies biblical hope. From
the patriarchs to the prophets, the people of God longingly hoped
to see God fulfill His promise of redemption and salvation. e
coming of Christ is hope in the flesh, a sure confirmation of the
faithfulness and trustworthiness of God.
Our prayer is that you will see biblical hope in these 25 daily
readings and that you will be strengthened to live with the
confident expectation that God's promises will be fulfilled even
in a world on fire.
In biblical hope,
Mark Young
