You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:9)
Personal testimony
I never expected to feel the overwhelming depth of pain. I did not expect experiencing such loss until my eldest son lost his battle with addiction. It was a devastating blow after a long fought battle. As a mother and minister I prayed for his deliverance and did everything possible to save his life. It would have been easy to denounce my faith by questioning God why is this happening to our family. Instead, as I stood in faith, I experienced a level of God’s grace. This grace provided me with hope for the future.
I was at a small gathering of women at a mountain resort in Pennsylvania. During this time, I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, “Follow me up the mountain.” This was encouragement to continue my journey of learning from Him despite the overwhelming sadness. Matthew 11:29-30 says, “Take my yoke and put it on you. Learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit. You will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.”
View from the mountain
I share the above story because oftentimes we develop a view of the world through the prism of life’s circumstances. Our views can become distorted. This distortion stems from negative thinking patterns. These patterns arise from a particular viewpoint that isn’t based on fact or reality. In short, habitual errors in thinking can distort the way we interpret events. If reinforced often enough, they can increase anxiety, deepen depression, relationship difficulties, and lead to other difficulties.
God calls us as His beloved. He wants us to see things from His standpoint. We shouldn’t view life from the low earthly level. To see life through Christ’s perspective. In these challenging times we must learn to see life from Christ’s perspective through the eyes of faith. We must be sober and vigilant see through Christ’s vision as we live by faith in him. Because Christ lives, so do we with the sight and in the power of his Spirit! First Peter 5:10 makes it plain. It states, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion.” He looks for someone to devour. Although the devil can’t take away our salvation, he attempts to damage our faith through lies and deceit. His schemes seek to shake our trust in God, affect our submission to Him, and destroy our testimony. It is important to stay sober and focus on the truth as God makes us “strong, firm and steadfast”.
From one, God made every nation of people
In our current national quandary, we must face reality. We meet divisive walls, hostility, and hate. Misinformation and disinformation flood the airwaves on news outlets and social media. God is love. His love for humanity is beyond earthly feelings of hatred and vitriol. He is love and His love never fails. In him there is no shadow of turning. He created all of humanity to live on the face of the earth from one blood Adam (Acts 17:26-35). This notion that he created one race to be superior over another is a fallacy.
Herald of good news
In Isaiah 40:9 the Lord directs people to look upon his glory and what he has done. The verse is a pronouncement of good news that people should declare from a high mountain with a raised voice. Isaiah 52:7 reads: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” The beauty and importance of spreading the good news of God’s salvation, deliverance, grace and mercy reflects the messengers who carry this message to someone with beautiful feet traversing the mountains to reach others with this joyful news.
My earnest prayer for you is that you will get to know Him. I hope that you experience the power of his resurrection that transcends the visible. This power lets you see the invisible through faith in God. Know that he is the one who holds the future. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:1-2).
This post celebrates the profound grace of God, who has illuminated the my path and revealed countless “doors to life.” With unwavering faith, it speaks to those searching for hope and deeper meaning, offering encouragement to hearts yearning for spiritual fulfillment. May its words inspire others to embrace their journey with trust and courage, knowing they are guided by a divine purpose.
Blessings,
May ‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace”’ (Num. 6:24-26).
Minister A. Francine e is an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She hosts a broadcast called “Going Beyond Church” on Facebook. You can connect with Dr. Francine on Facebook at @afrancinegreen as well as on Twitter @beyond_2017. Visit her website at http://www.afrancinegreen.com.
Notes:
All Scripture references are taken from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
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