By Mark Geselle
Valley Christian Center
Well it’s that time of year again. Christmas, New Year’s, the Vikings don’t make the play offs, flu season, and man, am I sick! It’s been over a week and from what I hear, I only have a week or two more to go. Ish! Now of course, I’d rather not be sick, but I am. Chances are you might be as well. So, we deal with it, take our cold meds, chicken soup and pray we get over it soon.
Such is life. What to do? The Apostle Paul gives us a challenge that pretty much goes against our natural grain. He says is Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!” In Romans 5, he says, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Do we hope we don’t get sick? Do we hope for a great year ahead? Do we hope that maybe the Vikings can pull it off next season? Good luck with that one! Maybe in our sufferings we learn what real hope is and what’s really worth putting our hope in?
As Paul continues, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Thus, real hope no matter what life throws at us. A hope that does not disappoint and a hope we can rejoice in. May you have that kind of hope in 2026. “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!”
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