Dear Cobham Park Church Family,
I vacationed last month in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where my family usually rents a house overlooking the beach. Sadly, it rained on my whole drive down and then intermittently for my first two days there. Skies were gray, the wind was cold, and my mood was dreary. On the third morning, however, I saw a gleam in the gray! Out over the Atlantic horizon, ladders of sunlight suddenly broke through the slate sky and lit a brilliant silver line of whitecaps. It seemed like a promise of better weather, and I began to feel hope. Sure enough—within an hour—the sun was out and the wind died down. My beach strolls would no longer require a warm coat and hat.
Something like that October rain is happening in our world today. Bad news blows in each day. There’s a great deal of dreariness out there. People are on edge. The love of many has grown cold (Matthew 24:12). Even committed Christians are tempted to give in to anger and worry. But in this lousy worldly weather, I see a gleam in the gray: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5, ESV).” Christ has come down into this chilly world and touched my soul! His death and resurrection break through my stony heart with a ladder to heaven. Christ is our promise of life wonderfully better than this world can give. I know it’s raining now, but hold on! Our hope is far more than wishful thinking—this is a sure thing! That’s why 1 Peter 1:3 calls it “living hope.”
In His Love,
Pastor Keith
Leave a Reply