Devastating hurricanes hitting Houston and Florida, like nothing we've ever seen. Over 1000 forest fires in the western United States and Canada. Massive flooding in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. An 8.0 earthquake in Mexico. And all in a matter of weeks.
It would be easy to grow discouraged. But Paul, who first hand experienced everything from shipwrecks to beatings to punishing imprisonment, encourages us to take heart, and never give up. He reminds us that there is always reason for hope, even in the darkest of times:
So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. (Eugene Peterson's "The Message")
Click here to listen to the message, and here for other resources. | 
