Right now we celebrate the Christmas season. We celebrate the time Jesus Christ entered the world as a baby, bringing hope to all of mankind. There was so much celebration. The Messiah had come! His birth was announced to the nearby shepherds. Angels filled the sky in celebration.

John the Baptist made a way for Jesus to come. Simeon celebrated, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation,” (Luke 2:25). Anna saw Jesus and came right to Him giving thanks. (Luke 2:36-38) Jesus brought so much hope, and then…

And then came that dark day Jesus died. Death is final. There’s no coming back from death. The disciples scattered. We’re toast, they thought. We need to get out of dodge. Jesus is dead. All of their plans were toast. He’s not saving anybody. It’s the end of the world, or so it seemed. There was darkness all over. A massive earthquake hit. This wasn’t a day in the sunshine. This wasn’t a day like the day He was born. This was a dark demonic day. Nothing good about it. The disciples had seen their Lord decimated. They had seen Him scourged beyond recognition. A crown of thorns placed on his head so more blood flooded His already marred face. They watched Him die. Die. They saw Him breath His last breath. If the Romans did that to Jesus, what would they do to them? And off they ran. They hid. This isn’t good. What do we do, they wondered?

And for three days, the dread and hopelessness filled every follower of Jesus Christ. He’s dead. He’s dead. That chant in their heads. He’s dead. The thought of Jesus’ death, unimaginable. It can’t be, but it is. No, no, no, no. He was going to save us. He was going to make things right. Now what were they supposed to do? He saved all those other people, why couldn’t he save Himself? He healed the blind, made the lame to walk, even brought people back to life, why is He dead? Why, why, why?

What was it all for? What were all the celebrations of His birth for? All of this, and now He’s dead. What was the point? Why did He gather all this disciples and show them miracle after miracle, even raising people from the dead, only to die Himself? WHAT WAS THE POINT?

The women decide to go see His dead body. Maybe just to be near Him will give them comfort. They wanted to see.

In their grief and sorrow they approach the tomb. It’s empty! What’s going on here? Did the rotten Romans steal His body? Where is He? Wasn’t it enough they killed Jesus? Now they’ve taken His body too. They run and tell the disciples – He’s gone!

Some of the disciples come back. They vouch for the women. He’s gone. There’s no one in the tomb.

But His body wasn’t stolen. He had risen from the dead, just like He had said He would. The sorrow had left them. They now knew what Jesus Christ had meant. He would rise from the dead! All hope was not gone. There is a new hope!

Situations may seem hopeless, but for a believer, they never are. We have put our faith and trust in a living God, One who rose from the dead. What seems bleak, never is for the believer. The crux of our salvation is hope. It is always hope. So no matter the situation, believer, take heart, it’s never hopeless. Romans 8:28.

As I am going through this trial, I’ve hunted scriptures to bring me comfort. I look up in my concordance for the word tribulations. It leads me to the verses in James.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

I read that and it feels like a cold glass of water splashed in my face. It’s a shock to the system. It’s a stab in the gut. I need encouragement now. I don’t consider any of this joyful. I didn’t ask for this. I want it gone and done. I don’t linger on this passage. I go elsewhere on my hunt for comfort.

I find Romans 5:3 “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulations brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope..”

I’m not exulting in my tribulations. I feel abandoned by God. I feel alone and unloved, wishing the rapture would happen now. I read that verse and think to myself that I don’t want perseverance or character. I’ll take the hope. But I don’t want the other stuff if this is what I have to go through.

I feel no joy. I feel no hope. These verses feel like punches in the gut. Almost like I’m being mocked. How can I feel joy while going through a trial? How do I exult in this tribulation when all I feel right now is pain.

So I cry out to God. “I’m miserable now Lord! I have no joy! I don’t know what these verses are talking about. How am I supposed to consider all this joy when I hurt so badly? How does one exult in tribulations?”

And then God is His infinite mercy hears my cry. He doesn’t answer me audibly, but He begins to work. Ever so slowly, He begins that powerful drawing of me to Himself. It’s like someone slowly pulling you into a big strong hug. He doesn’t move too fast, otherwise it would probably freak me out. Slowly, I feel His presence all around me. He brings up scriptures into my remembrance. “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” “He is near to the broken-hearted.” “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.”

He reminds me, in my head, that He does love me. He has heard all of my prayers. He will answer me. And then He tells me, “Watch what I’m going to do.”

I’m silenced. Slowly I feel the thick walls that have imprisoned me, began to have cracks. Joy begins seeping through those cracks. I actually feel joy! “Watch what I’m going to do.” So I watch and wait. I am the audience of God’s magnificence. I will witness His power and His might. More joy seeps through and the walls have come down. The great God of the Universe is looking at me, speaking with me and I begin to consider it joy to experience trials and tribulations.

It is said that a human being can live forty days without food, four days without water, four minutes without air, but can’t survive four seconds without hope.

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

“Hope does not disappoint.” I love that statement. “Hope does not disappoint.” Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines hope “as to cherish a desire with anticipation.” God talks a lot about hope in the Bible. He constantly tells us our faith is hope. We hope for our future dwelling place. We hope for our new bodies. We hope for a future living with God Himself. God is our hope and salvation. Without hope, all would be lost. Humans couldn’t survive. We need to know things will get better. While on this planet, we hope for a better place.

The Bible talks a lot about faith and hope. They’re wrapped around each other.

Faith is believing in things unseen. Believers put their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, yet we’ve never seen Him. We’ve never heard Him or touched Him, yet we believe He is real. Once we put our faith in Jesus Christ, then we hope for the things God promises. When we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we now have hope for the future. When we go through trials we have hope that they will end. They won’t be forever.

I need hope. Hope keeps me going. I need hope that this trial will end. I pray for hope-hope upon hope upon hope. I need the Lord to fill my mind and heart with hope. And God is faithful to do that.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10)

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isa. 40:31)

The Christian life is all about hope. We have so much we hope for. Maybe you’re like me, looking for hope, needing hope. Search the scriptures and find the pages of God’s word filled with hope.

Have you heard of the “eye of the storm?” It’s that place in the middle of a hurricane that is actually calm. The storm can rage all around, but right smack in the middle of the storm-the eye of the storm-it’s peaceful. The eye of the storm is calm with clear skies. There may be some light winds, but nothing compared to the outside of the eye where winds are up and over 100 mph with thunderstorms and massive rain.

I’m still in the middle of my trial. I still feel the heat of it. But I’m determined to hang onto God for my dear life. He is my only consolation. He is my only hope. Without Him I am sunk.

So my prayer has been for God to show me how to get to that place, where I can I have peace despite my circumstances. How do I get to the eye of the storm? That is where God is, smack dab in the middle of it. I want to be there. I need to be there.

And He has shown me. He’s invited me to be with Him in the eye of the storm. How did I get there? Well, for one, prayer. Lots and lots of prayer. I pray constantly. I pray in the morning. I pray before I go to bed. I pray when I’m just sitting on the couch vegging out. “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray…” James 5:13

Secondly, I had to shift my focus. Like Peter, who walked on water, he was fine as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. The second he took his eyes off the Lord, he sank. I had to shift my focus onto the Lord as well. I can’t stare at the problem. If I do, I sink. My eyes have to be laser focused on God. I can’t turn to the left or the right. My gaze has to be fully on Him.

Once I did these things, I felt myself move to the eye of the storm. I can see the storm all around me. It hasn’t lost its intensity. But where I am, in the eye of the storm, there is peace and calm. I feel God’s presence near me. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted…” Psalms 34:18

I feel hope. This too shall pass. This won’t be forever. This is what God confirms in my mind, over and over again. He will intervene.

There is a sweetness to be in the eye of the storm. “My grace is sufficient for you.” 2 Cor. 12:9 In order to keep my sanity and be able to function, God keeps me. He girds me up. He keeps me out of the pits of despair and discouragement. He lets me yield my life to Him. I’m more than happy to do so.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me…” Psalms 23:4

Are you in a storm right now? If so, head to the eye of the storm. Get there as fast as you can. You won’t regret it.

I look for encouragement wherever I can find it. I just finished reading the book, “The End of the Spear,” by Steve Saint. Steve Saint is the son of Nick Saint. Nick Saint was one of the five missionaries killed by Waodinis in 1956.

Most middle aged people and older remember the event. These five missionaries were determined to make a bridge between the Waodini and themselves, desiring to bring the gospel to these very primitive people. They spent time dropping gifts from a plane in order to build a friendship with the people. On the day, they were slaughtered, it started out differently. Several of the Waodini had met them. The missionaries fed them and let them explore the plane. Nick Saint even took one of them up in the plane. There was a misunderstanding among the Waodinis, so they ended up attacking and spearing to death all five missionaries.

As a result of the missionaries deaths, Nick Saint’s sister was able to live among them and preach the gospel. About twenty percent of them converted to Christianity.

Steve Saint always wondered if his dad ever knew he didn’t die in vain. If he knew that his sacrifice gave life to the Waodinis. Right after the massacre, as the Waodinis talked about it, there was talk of other foreigners chanting above the trees as the foreigners lay dying. Because of the difficulty with the language, no one quite knew what to make of the “other foreigners chanting above the trees” until years later.

Steve was with the Waodini, filming a documentary some forty years later. They were hanging out in one of the houses, listening to music, when one of the old warriors who had been there that day, sat up and declared that the music he just heard was the chanting he had heard above the trees. They played back the music and when the old warrior heard it, he declared again that that was the chanting above the trees that he heard while the other foreigners lay dying. When they asked him further questions the old warrior explained that there were lights above the trees after they had speared the other foreigners and music was playing like the music he just heard. In that instant, Steve Saint knew that his dad had known that they didn’t die in vain. He knew the foreigners who chanted above the trees were angels, singing about what God was about to do. And the missionaries that lay dying heard them too. The old Warrior made it clear to Steve, “as they lay dying.” He told them that the foreigners above the trees had scared them, and they immediately knew they had “done badly.”

I loved this story. When I take my eyes off my problems and look to God, I’m lifted up. This story fills me with such hope. In the midst of a horrific tragedy, God was announcing to the Waodini and the men that lay dying, that He was there, in the midst of it all. And that’s where God is with me. He’s right here, in the midst of it all. And that’s gives me so much comfort.