Hope comes only through change!

If you are not willing to change, do not expect things around you to change! Acts 16:28-31

We walk through our everyday lives with some expectation of change, and wonder why we go through the things we do? Sometimes we need to stop and take a closer look at us, at our situation, and determine are we truly where we need to be in life? What is missing? Why this empty void I continually need to fill? Why do circumstances around me seem to close in and smother me?

The answer, change. Genuine change that can only take place with the help of a Savior and the gift of His Holy Spirit. Even then change continues, but in different ways. We may still go through some rough times, but never with the doubts we have now! But with hope in the fact God is with us always.

The Philippian jailer was just like us. He went to work everyday and even probably did a wonderful job. The worrisome part of his job though, if a prisoner escaped he had to answer for whatever the conviction was. Now that is stress and pressure to endure! If the prisoner had a death sentence, and escaped the jailer would have to answer. Pretty tough job!

Glad it is not like that today, aren't you? But with the stresses of today's society don't we face stresses? Stresses where we want to give up? We work for companies who really put no value in us but only in the profit margin. Like the jailer we see no hope of things getting better, we see no light at the end of the tunnel, only discouragement.

 We are not even facing the death penalty, yet still we struggle with no hope, no way out, no happiness or success! The jailer was desperate, he felt he had no place to turn. You see there was an earth quake and the jail cells were all opened. Before making an evaluation he determined all the prisoners had escaped. He never took time to see the whole picture. He just saw open cell doors and knew he would have to answer.

We get into those types of situations in our lives don't we? We have a job where we handle money, and the drawer comes up short. Someone has to answer, and generally it is you. It was your drawer, you are responsible. You may have been on break and someone else jumped on your registrar for a moment, and made a big error. Yet you did not see them, you were not there so you have no proof, now you are being held accountable.

Can and has happened. Now you are being forced to defend yourself, your integrity is being challenged. You have been faithful employee for years, now your job is on the line. A job you need, you cannot afford to be out of work, and to make matters worse you have been fired for stealing. What do you do? Where and who do you turn to?

  As the Philippian jailer had Paul and Silas, whom by the way had been falsely imprisoned and beaten, we have someone in our lives, we have heard talking and praising Jesus as their Lord. When the Jailer thought he had no hope, was discouraged, and ready to just give up, he heard the voice of Paul, and remembered the song on his lips, even in his dispare!

He ran and asked them, "what must I do to change my situation, my hopeless circumstances?" Paul's answer, "believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." Not only would his life change and again experience hope, but it would flow to his family!

How about you? What is your hope in? A job, people, maybe even things? When you have no more hope, when your tired of being let down and discouraged, remember the voice you once heard. Remember when that one person shared Jesus with you, and you felt you had no need of Him at that time. Remember the one voice who declared Jesus can make a difference in your life.

Believe in the Lord Jesus, call upon Him as Lord of your life, believe that he died for your sins and on the third day rose from the grave. All that He did with you in mind always. Find hope in the midst of turmoil and confusion, find Jesus today!