Hello Baysiders! Hope all is well in your souls in this Thanksgiving season. The holidays are upon us and the woes of 2020 tempt us to rush through the end of the year to start fresh for 2021. But this isn’t the movie Click (a must watch film about appreciating your current circumstance).
We must finish strong. In the midst of stress and hardship of our season we as God’s people are to remain strong and hopeful. God’s strength is available to anybody who is willing to receive it. When we are weak and tired, God is ready to equip us and give us the strength to finish the task. In order to sustain the difficulty, you must rely on God’s supernatural power, and not depend on your natural power. My natural abilities tells me to give up, don’t try harder, take it easy, don’t trust God anymore, and to be hopeless. Being confident in God’s strength is the route to rest in his arms while he carries us through the fire.
The first step in attaining God’s strength is confessing your weakness and asking for his help. Nobody likes to admit “I’m weak.” No one enjoys or wants to feel out of control or helpless. But, in reality, you and I must learn that in our weakness moments, the Lord is free to do his greatest work in us. It is in these trying times that you can experience God’s power. 2 Corinthians 12:10 says, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. All strength needed is available to you through Jesus for any time of your life—good or bad—adversity, suffering, or misfortune. Resist your pride and confess your inadequacies and frailty to God, and dwell in his everlasting grace and love. There is no guarantee that 2021 will be better, and sorry to be the bearer of bad realistic news but this pandemic is so unpredictable and assuming a fresh start to a new year will fix everything is fanciful. Most likely all the issues and stresses will be there on January 1st 2021. But this is no reason to panic or be down. What is guaranteed is God’s strength for the weak who want it and need it. God is who is promised and never changes and is our stability in the ever changing seasons of life. God’s strength is more than enough for this year, next year and even today.
As for now, Bayside Church is open for in person service on Sundays and for Bible studies on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. Webex is available for those who rather stay at home for health concerns. Mark your calendar for November 29th because its our Christmas Decorating Day. Come join us and help decorate the interior of church with Christmas decorations. This will occur right after service. Let’s come together each week and take advantage of this time as we don’t know when we will be lockdown again during this pandemic.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Aaron ?:^)