“Overflow with Hope” Devotional | April 27

Each Monday during this season of remote living and learning, the Chapel Office is sharing a devotional written by a member of the Gordon community.

By Ireland Gibbs ’20

A voice of one calling:

“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
—Isaiah 40:3-5

As we go through life, it is easy to get caught up in what is taking place in the moment. Whether something incredible is happening or the situation you are in is not as positive as you would hope, it is easy to become narrow in how we view our situation. We feel the energy of the world around us and get swept up in the waves of emotion and action, excitement and heartache, blessings and losses. In the midst of all of this, we often have a lapse of perspective on the bigger picture.

The good in life should most definitely be celebrated. If you land a job promotion, call your friends and family and share the excitement of the new opportunity. If you find yourself in a new friendship, spend time with that person and pour into that relationship the same way God pours into you. At the same time, the difficult things in life should be mourned. If you lose a friend, it’s okay to be upset and grieve the person who is no longer in your life. If you are having financial difficulties, it makes sense to be sad and seek help in the midst of that.

However, in the good and the bad alike, when we are focused on what is right in front of us, we must also remember to set our gaze on the horizon from time to time. We must open our Bibles and remember the long-term promises of God. We must “prepare the way for the Lord” because he is coming! There is no question about it and, in our faithfulness, we must act on that assurance, that promise, and live lives in anticipation of the future time when “the glory of the Lord will be revealed.”

The difficulties of this life will not last forever, nor will the moments of joy necessarily be enduring; however, we serve a God who raises valleys and knocks down mountains. He is a God of promises and patience and love and intentionality. We as the Body of Believers must lean into the Lord in the good and bad times that we will face on this Earth. In the midst of the present, do not forget his promises and the bigger picture that is to come!

What would it look like for you to become disciplined with looking at the promises and big picture of God’s plan in your life?