For the Kids
It is hard to understand what God is doing sometimes. There are very difficult situations we have to deal with in life, and we don't always think that God is doing good things when we only see bad things happening around us, or when bad things are happening to us. But God is always at work in His children, the people that believe in Him. And sometimes God does the unexpected, bringing good things directly out of something that seems bad. God is always good, and He always love us and wants what is good for us, even when we don't think He even cares.
For the Adults
No hope. There are those situations in life where we find ourselves looking at the circumstances and saying, "there is simply no hope in this", and we find ourselves giving up hope. That is what Zechariah and his wife thought about having children, having grown beyond the age where they thought that they could have children. Even when an angel appears to Zechariah and says that God is going to bless them with a child who will be the prophet to prepare the way for the messiah, elderly Zechariah doubts the message, and he is struck mute until the child is born to display the power of God. His situation went from an acceptable hopelessness to a jaded difficulty, an uncertainty over what God was doing in his life, and how to react to it. And his faith ended up blossoming as a result.
We look at the gift of the child, but do we understand that being struck mute was a gift from God, as well? God chastises those whom He loves, and rather than looking at ourselves as cursed by God for having to live with the circumstances of our sin, we should understand that God is always at work in our hearts, and He uses the bad as well as the good to teach us, mold us, form us into a more perfect child of faith. Statements such as "all things work for good" and "tribulation produces... hope" seem impossible when you are in a an absolutely no-win situation, and God seems nowhere in sight. But He does work all things for good, and sometimes our brokenness is exactly what we need at that time to produce better character and eventually a greater faith and ability to walk in His Spirit.
Though it is very difficult and we often want to give up on God during those dark times in our life, we should instead learn to reply to God, "here am I", "do with me what you will". We should ask Him what He wants us to learn, and humble ourselves before His will for our lives. For those that persevere in the bible, they always come out of tribulation with a greater love for God, a greater love for their brethren, and greater blessings in the spiritual realm. Some of them even gain greater earthly blessings, though that is not our greatest hope.
Our greatest hope is in the eternal realm, and building others up for the kingdom of God. Our greatest joy is in God, no matter how low we are in life. Take faith in that, and that God is always with you and always desires what is best for you, no matter what. In this we are lifted up and find ourselves seated at the right hand of God, in Christ. In this we find more joy and peace than we ever thought possible. This is our hope.
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