We who have fled to [God] for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. That hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. Hebrews 6:18b-19a
How do you answer when asked, “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
If you’re a “bad news first” person, you don’t need anyone to remind you that we live in a world that never has a shortage of bad news—we’re all perpetually hammered by it. In the face of bad news, most of us resort to escapism. We scroll for a few hours, take a drink, take a pill or try a new relationship. In this bad news world, without something rock-solid, unshifting and always true in your life, it’s easy to be discouraged, overpowered by loss and overwhelmed.
The never-changing good news that we all need to hear is God’s good news and it’s called the gospel. The word gospel means “good news” and it’s all about God’s love for you, His offer to forgive you, wash you clean and give you His Spirit to help you live life His way. Living life His way means living in His peace that exists outside of circumstance. The gospel is the guarantee that, no matter how this life goes…or how it ends for you, you can live forever with God in the immense joy you were created for.
“So now,” scripture says, “We can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because…Jesus Christ has made us friends of God (Romans 5:11). “We who have fled to [God] for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. That hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls” (Hebrews 6:18b-19a).
One writer notes, “We need one unshakable reality that repeatedly triumphs and renews steady strength in our lives. [God’s] “good news transcends all possible bad news.”[1]
[1] Schmidt, Cary. Steady Strength: Reversing Ministry’s Dangerous Drift toward Depletion. P. 70. Moody Publishers, 2023.
