In his letters to Timothy, Paul seems to recognize his own imminent end, but also uses the term "last days" to refer to the period from Jesus' ascension to His future return, a time marked by moral decline and difficulty.

As I grew in faith, I began to appreciate the significance of the benediction, recognizing it as a moment of invoking God’s blessings and peace.

The early church faced intense persecution, prompting the author of Hebrews to emphasize the importance of maintaining faith and confidence amidst fear and uncertainty.

Endurance is not merely about waiting but is a transformative process that, according to Paul, increases our confidence in God’s promises and leads us to embody Christ’s attitudes and actions.

The pivotal question Paul poses—“What then shall we say to these things?”—leads to a definitive answer: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Paul addresses the Corinthian church's doubts about his authority by emphasizing that Christ's power is evident even through apparent weakness, just as Jesus' resurrection demonstrated the triumph of divine strength.

The exiles were surprised by the length of their captivity, yet Jeremiah reassured them that God's plans were for their good, offering a future and hope even when their immediate situation seemed bleak.

Isaiah reminds us that the young and the old can become physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually fatigued. But God offers to step in with his strength, his Spirit, and by his power to speak and breathe life and hope into our situation.

When we are in the middle of dealing with day-to-day life that sometimes includes suffering, it is important to understand God knows what is going on and will even use our suffering for his glory when we lean into Jesus, our living hope.

In the Upper Room, Jesus reassured the Twelve about their future honor despite their impending trials and failures, emphasizing that greatness comes through servanthood and grace.

Three times in the first 11 verses of that chapter we are told to rejoice: “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (v. 2). “We rejoice in our sufferings” because they produce endurance (v. 3). And in verse 11, “We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Everyone gets to the other side of great suffering eventually. It might be achieved only in the next life, but the slow recovery of another in this life stirs hope in us that we might endure as well.

Our discipleship is a process that leads to becoming more and more like Jesus so that our witness is a more clear reflection of God to others.

Jesus' unconventional approach to greatness, exemplified by his embrace of children and emphasis on selfless service, challenges conventional wisdom and calls for a reevaluation of personal goals and values.

God hears our prayers, and he will answer them. He is faithful every time.

God’s promises were not just for Jerusalem but for all people and for all time. Our best hope, our only hope, is in the promises of God. His gift of Jesus changes everything.

Hope for those who have been living in exile. That was part of the message Isaiah brought to the children of God who had been waiting for decades; now deliverance was coming. So . . . How long have you been living in exile?

In the middle of our stress and struggle, our sickness, and our bondage, God knew we needed to sing and to be served by songs of hope.

Our bodies, like our houses, wear out even with constant attention. But there is a glorious endgame ahead of us.

No one wants to be around a braggart. So why does Paul tell us again and again to boast?