On November 11, 1918, representatives of France, Germany, and Great Britain met in a railroad station in France to sign an armistice agreement and end the fighting in “the war to end all wars.” They signed the agreement at 5:00 a.m. with the stipulation that the fighting would end six hours later – at 11:00 a.m.. 

I wonder why they didn’t stop fighting immediately. I suppose in those days, it took time for word to spread throughout the Western Front. At 5:00 a.m., everyone knew Germany had been defeated by the Allies and celebrations started around the world. But for the soldiers in the field, the war wasn’t over. There were thousands of casualties that day as the fighting continued. 

We are living in a time similar to those six hours in 1918. When Jesus walked out of the grave, God declared victory over sin, evil, and death. Satan knows he’s been defeated, but he’s not ready to stop fighting. We’re caught in the crossfire—living in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet” of God’s victory. 

We say, “Where, O death, is your sting?” but still weep at the graveside of someone we love. We read that the power of sin over us has been broken, and yet we confess with the apostle Paul that we keep on sinning (Romans 7:15-8:2).  

Jesus knew we would suffer as the battle continues to rage, and so He told His disciples: 

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

We have peace because our hope isn’t in our own power to triumph. We trust in the One who has already conquered. Through our trials and our struggles, we can have confidence in this: God wins. 

Take heart, friends. No matter what you face this week, Christ has overcome the world. 

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Today I’m sharing at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 app about the living hope we have in Jesus. Here’s a preview . . .

1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

I hate suspense. When I face uncertainty, stress, suffering or heartache, I long for a sneak peek at the end of the story. I wish I could flip to the last page like when I get to the cliffhanger in a novel. But in real life, we must walk through hard times without knowing when or if resolution will come.

First Peter was written to encourage scattered Christians in the middle of a story of suffering. (1 Peter 1:1; 4:12-13) As we read Peter’s words to these first-century believers, we see that God’s gift of a living hope in Jesus changes everything about our story. Jesus’ resurrection solidifies our hope, sustains us through suffering and secures our glorious future.

Because of our living hope, we know resurrection defines our story.

Peter starts by reminding us that our living hope is based on God’s mercy. God has “caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3). Because God united us to Christ by faith, our story ends like His — with resurrection from the dead and eternal life with the Father. (Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:5-6) This living hope is as rock-solid as the stone that sat outside Jesus’ empty grave.

Our living hope also secures for us an eternal inheritance that can never be diminished, lost or stolen. (1 Peter 1:4-5; 5:4) The gift of the Holy Spirit guarantees that God is keeping this inheritance for us until we receive it in heaven. (Ephesians 1:13-14) We live each day in light of the promised resurrection and glory we have in Christ.

To read the rest of the teaching, head over to First 5. And while you’re there, be sure to download the First 5 app so you can follow along through the rest of the study with the First 5 team!

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Have you ever watched a movie and realized that a character you thought was a good guy was really the worst of the bad guys? It’s even worse when the other characters don’t know the truth. You feel a pit in your stomach as you see one of your favorite characters run to someone she thinks is safe, only to find out she’s turned to the wrong person for help. You hope she figures out who’s truly on her side before it’s too late! 

For the past month, we’ve walked through Psalm 34 together. We’ve seen how David praises the Lord in all circumstances, how the Lord delivers and provides, and how He heals broken hearts with His presence. 

In the final verse of the psalm, we find the foundation of all the truth, thanksgiving, and praise of Psalm 34: None who take refuge in God will be condemned. When we run to Him for salvation, we won’t find out later that we’ve made a mistake. We’re safe in the grace and mercy of our Savior. 

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:19-22) 

This psalm points us to Christ, the One who delivers us from death by His death. Our afflictions are many, but they are nothing compared to the affliction Jesus suffered on the cross as He bore the punishment our sin deserved. 

Because He took God’s wrath for us, our Lord and Redeemer is now our safe refuge. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)! When you feel weighed down by affliction and fear, take refuge in the One who died to redeem your life. 

No matter what you face this week, if God is your refuge, you will not be condemned. 

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The Great Breakup of January 1991 swept through Woodland Junior High like a social earthquake. One couple after another toppled, and it seemed no one was immune. Even the long-term couples couldn’t withstand its force. When it was over, all that remained of the junior high dating culture was a bunch of brokenhearted adolescent girls, including me. 

At the time, most of us who were dumped thought it was the most horrible heartbreak of our lives. But a few decades years, later that pain pales in comparison to the heartbreak we know as adults. We watch friends endure illness, job loss, divorce, or death. We experience pain and loss ourselves. If we’re paying any attention to the world around us, heartbreak is everywhere. 

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

As we continue to walk through Psalm 34 this month, we find this verse in the middle of David’s praise of God’s deliverance. David seems to remind himself of God’s care for him when deliverance is delayed and heartbreak results. In the midst of David’s sadness and pain, he knows the Lord is near. 

When sadness threatens to crush us, there is a place for us to seek comfort: in the arms of our Heavenly Father. He sees our pain and surrounds us with His love and peace. He will never leave us alone with our sadness. We can trust Him to lovingly mend our lives back together when the destruction of grief blasts through. 

This truth isn’t a platitude that sounds nice but has no real power. And it isn’t a band-aid that we put on our grief that makes it all feel better. Grief and loss is still painful, even with the Lord. But as we run to Him with our broken hearts, He gently takes our pain, heals our wounds, and gives us the strength to go on. 

We can face our grief without despair because we belong to the One who heals broken hearts. And we know that one day, there will be no more broken hearts when we are with Him in heaven (Revelation 21:4). 

No matter what you face this week, our Heavenly Father heals broken hearts. 

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