We are living in the greatest time in history.
We are living in the most perilous time in history.
Both are true.
Right now, doors are open for you to advance the kingdom of God—and advance yourself—through your gifts, calling, and godly discernment. Opportunities are knocking, but they may not be where your parents found them, or where you found them in the past. This is a new day. It calls for new thinking and fresh boldness.
When you feel opposition closing in, stop looking for the “usual” exit. Instead, look for new openings—at the edges, in the cracks, in places and shapes you never expected. God said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…Do not be afraid.” Isaiah 43:2–3, 5
When you face your greatest opposition, God is creating your greatest opportunity—not just to survive, but to advance. God does not rescue you so you can sit safely on the shore and say “Hallelujah” from a distance. God brings you through so you can thrive and become a living testimony of what God can do.
God brought Israel out of Egypt to bring them into the Promised Land. That journey glorified God before the nations and blessed the people. The pattern is the same throughout Scripture—and it’s the same for you. Opposition comes to advance God’s purposes and to advance you in them.
We live in historic days—great and dangerous. No matter what you hear in the news, see online, or receive in your inbox or mailbox, remember: God cannot lie. He has promised to take us through: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18–19)
We are seeing and hearing things we never imagined. Yet if the opposition is great, so is the opportunity. Look longer. Look differently. Refuse to let an avalanche of bad news bury your hope. Be aware of what is happening—and even more aware of who God is.
Stay on your post as a believer in the undefeated, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no real contest. No one can rival the only true and living God.
So keep watching. Keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep believing. Keep praising. Keep singing victory. Keep smiling, because: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
(Psalm 121:2)
Your family, friends, neighbors, and community need you to live above despair.
You are living in the greatest time in history.
You are living in the most perilous time in history.
You are living in the hands of an awesome God.
God knew you would be here, so you were born for this moment. Refocus—and proceed.
God bless you!
Pastor Janice Fareed-Hardy
