We live in challenging times; however, we have this hope that God is with us through it all. No matter what situation we may find ourselves in, God is with us, and he desires that we worship him in Spirit and in Truth. The world doesn’t owe us happiness, because our happiness does not depend on what the world may or may not do for us. It is well known, that people will never live up to our expectations of them, and that is okay, because we look to Jesus Christ who is the author and the finisher of our faith. Every good thing comes from him; every worthy thing, is of his divine plan for our lives; every detour, distraction, that hinders us, will not succeed, if we continue to look for God’s will, and not our own.

Especially at this Christmas season, we should focus on why we are able to celebrate it: because of Emmanuel. There will be gatherings, and times of fellowship, laughter, and many tears for the ones we may have lost; but in the midst of it all, there is this hope that we have that God is with us, and he is for us. He desires that we prosper and be in good health. When we are weak, he is strong. When we can’t go another step, he carries us. When life gets real, he sticketh closer than a brother. He will be whatever we need for him to be.

Why? Because he loves us with an everlasting love that will never fail us. We may stumble when the pressure gets too great to bear, but there is hope in God; keep pressing forward and he will meet you at your lowest point and pick you up. Many times we give in and give up the fight too soon, because we start to listen to the voices in our head that say we will never win. I’ll let you in on a little secret: those voices are only the devil trying to cause you to give up. He knows the potential that the Lord has unleashed in your life. If you ever tap into that well of power, nothing will stop you from shaking the very foundations of the enemies hold on you.

When we start to believe that God is with us and for us, then, we will move to a new dimension of relationship with the one who is worthy to be praised. We can renew our hope and celebrate eternal life. This week’s Lattereign focuses on the Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.  wonderful-counselor.