During this Lenten season, Rick McDaniel reflects on the trust that we place in the Lord and the hope that prevails.
As I write this message of hope, my family reels with the pain of loss. You see, this morning we lost our pet of 13 years. Even though it was clearly Wrigley’s time, it does not lessen the blow. So the family will pause in grief and begin to move on in life without Wrigley. I wonder how each family member will handle the pain, the grieving process and the moving on with life.
As I think about me and my family and Wrigley, I am also compelled to think about you. We have all experienced loss, but we do not all reach for the Lord to carry us through. Though heartbroken, I am comforted. I cling to the promises of Scripture passages like Proverbs 3:5-6 and Jeremiah 17:7-8. I feel the Lord holding me tight right now. It is such a comfort to be held by the Lord! I pray my wife and children reach for Him today. I pray that you reach for Him, too. No matter what you go through, trust in the Lord. There are many things that need to be done, but the first is to just trust in the Lord.
During this Lenten season, may we as members of the Habitat for Humanity family reflect on the trust that we place in the Lord and the hope that prevails. The Lord offers us His salvation, and through Him we are truly made whole as members of His one body of believers.
FOR DISCUSSION
1. In times of great pain and sorrow, do you first reach for the Lord to comfort and sustain you or your loved ones? Do you let go of what cannot be controlled and trust in the Lord?
2. What steps will you take to make God a source of hope and strength?
3. Do you find your thoughts turning to God in times of both sorrow and joy? Explain.
PRAYER
Father, we place our trust and our hope in You. We know that You are no stranger to pain and suffering and death. We know that You came for us, You lived for us, You died for us, and Your resurrection and salvation are for us. We thank You, Jesus, by placing our trust and our hope in You. Amen.
By Rick McDaniel, finance manager for Habitat for Humanity International ReStores, based in Atlanta.
Download the daily Lent Reflections in full here.
