The Business of Heaven (Part 6): A Moment Of Confident Hope
Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Duran
Reverse-portrait mode
There’s a camera-option on my phone known as “portrait mode”. This option emphasizes whatever object or person you take a picture of, while blurring everything else in the background. The result?
You see the most important part of the picture with the greatest clarity.
Sadly, many of us are operating in reverse-portrait mode. Our lens continues to focus on the context of life while blurring the most important part of the picture. The result? Instead of seeing this moment with clarity—
You risk missing a move of God entirely.
Ephesians 1:18 (NLT) says:
“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he [God] has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”
God desires for us to be enlightened with a confident hope. Especially during a time in which our world continues to offer the very opposite. That’s why it’s important to recognize what you’re magnifying in this moment. Because like a magnifying glass, what you magnify will only intensify.
C.S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
When your eyes are set on the Risen Son of God, it illuminates the way you see everything else.
Instead of living as a prisoner of the moment, faith redirects you to a place of truth & freedom. A place where you’re no longer blinded by the burden of your problems. But rather, you’re blessed with the wisdom to see them in a different light.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)
The plan
Confidence is a result of trusting that God knows exactly what to do & when to do it. It’s a personal conviction that God is Good, and everything He does is consistent with His good character. Confidence is knowing our God has a purpose for this moment—the reassurance that He has a plan.
“And this is the plan: At the right time he [God] will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. And now you…have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you…
“And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”
Ephesians 1:10, 13-14 (NLT), Ephesians 2:22 (NIV)
The more the world unravels, the closer we are to watching God restore all that’s broken. As God’s people, we are one of the most important pieces in this process. We were made “for such a time as this.” It’s time to open your eyes to this reality. To make the most of this moment—
According to his plan.
TRUST HIM
When it comes to God’s plan, our trust in Him is foundational. The Bible makes it clear that His ways & thoughts are higher than ours. That God’s wisdom appears as foolishness to a perishing world. In other words, God doesn’t always act in ways that make complete sense to us. Thankfully, He’s given us people of faith as examples to look to.
“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”
…And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Though God’s plan is perfect, life’s circumstances are not. We all experience seasons in which there’s “no reason for hope”. Times in which we’re pushed beyond our own limited perspective & control. It’s in these moments that we cling to the Promise of God.
Against all odds, we believe that His purpose will prevail. We remember that God has saved us & declared us righteous. Our faith rests not on any work of our own, but on the power of God that raised Jesus back to life. The plan isn’t about “us” making it through it all. But rather—
trusting god through it all.
REMAIN FRUITFUL
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Galatians urges us to endure in doing what’s right, because on one level or another, doing good often goes against the grain of society. Meaning, the good we do will come at a personal cost. Which is why God reminds us that there are two sides to this equation.
The Apostle Paul said he rejoiced in the Lord when he received gifts from the Philippian Church. But his joy wasn’t in what he received, but in the knowledge that these people received a credit to their heavenly account (Philippians 4:17). Take note—
faithfulness produces fruitfulness.
God is calling each us to stand strong under pressure. To live with a Christ-centered commitment & refusal to compromise on matters of faith. Every time God prompts you to speak truth, hold your tongue, step up, serve others, etc.—there will be a cost.
But the “costs” of being the hands & feet of Jesus are really just long-term investments. His plan may involve short-term pain, but it’s more than worth the eternal gain. Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).
Have faith in the knowledge that you never labor in vain. Have faith that God is watering every seed of faith that He sows through you. Have faith in knowing—
everything you’re doing is accruing.
declare victory
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
The light [Jesus] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Jesus told us that nobody lights a lamp & then hides it, but rather, it’s set on a stand to give light to all who enter (Luke 11:33). For those who’ve received this Light, this is your moment to shine Jesus’ Light into a dark world. Faith isn’t a hope to suppress—
faith is a hope to profess.
For others, this is your moment to draw a line in the sand. To acknowledge that you’re in a spiritual fight, and the only way to win is to step into the light. The Bible makes it clear, apart from Jesus, there is no other name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
“If you openly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NLT)
There is no darkness in your life in which the Light of Christ cannot overcome. This is your moment to call out to Him & let the Light in. This is your moment to—
declare victory.
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*Here’s a direct link to this week’s post: A Moment of Confident Hope
today’s Takeaways
Our temporary trials lead to eternal glory.
everything you’re doing is accruing.
Jesus is your declaration of victory.