Guaranteed

"In Him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." ~2 Corinthians 1:19-22

I have found this passage to be deeply encouraging lately as I sometimes find myself contemplating the fact that there's not a lot of guarantees for our future. No guarantees that we will be healthy. No guarantees that we'll find a job we love and have enough money to live the life we want to live. No guarantees that we won't face heartache in relationships, loss of loved ones, uncertainty, and pain.

But somehow I find that what is guaranteed to us as God's children definitely trumps everything that isn't. We are guaranteed that nothing can ever separate us from God's love, and that with His unfailing love, He continually draws us to Himself. We have a guaranteed hope in Christ. We're guaranteed that nothing can ever pluck us from His hand, and that Jesus commands our destiny. Guaranteed that the Lord will be the sure foundation for our times, and that He will keep us always in perfect peace as we learn to trust in Him ever more deeply. His everlasting arms support us and he will give us strength in proportion to whatever we face. In Christ, God's promises are guaranteed. They always stand firm--and because of that, so can we.