"Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off," Isaiah 55:13.

These words are so wonderful and refreshing to the soul. They teach us that no matter what situation you face, never lose hope or give up.

No matter how difficult the situation seems through the physical eyes, even when your life is nothing but thorns and brier, God reminds us that He can bring beauty and joy where problems and confusion and all sorts of evil once flourished. I have counseled so many people who have had all their hope of peace and happiness totally crushed by the enemy after suffering so much and so long in life. Their way of looking at life has been totally distorted. This is the plan and work of the enemy whose aim is to keep people from fighting for their success.

The enemy's strategy is to first kill your hopes and dreams. He does this through negative thoughts. For example, he will make you believe that after so much affliction with sickness, your body will never be healthy again; that after so much backsliding, you will never be restored to a strong communion with God again; that after being hurt so many times in relationships, you will never love ofr be loved; that after so much financial loss, you will never prosper. His lies are unending. But we must remember that the mission of the enemy is to keep is down in life, so he will never encourage us to get up and go on.

Thank God for our Lord Jesus Christ who so clearly declares, "I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly!"

Friend, because of the promise of life given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ and our faith in Him, where pain exists, healing can begin to emerge; where confusion and fights prevail, peace and love can appear; where misery and poverty have ruled for so long, the prosperity of God can flourish. So just as the Lord promises in Isaiah 55:13, these examples of transformed living can be experienced in the life of anyone who lives by faith. If you are longing for this kind of transfomation in your life, you must learn to exercise your faith at all times. If you are tired of seeing nothing but thorns and briers in your life and purposed in your heart to experience these transformations, God is resurrecting your hope as you read these words. Know that it is time to seek the fulfillment of the promises of God in your life. As we prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, be reminded that over 2000 years ago, the price was PAID for us to overcome all types of thorns and briers in our lives.

Bishop Angelo Barbosa