Good morning,
I
get the feeling that our world is holding on to hope for all they are
worth. I just finished reading an article about the strange reactions
that people in South Korea have in the face of all the threats from
their northern neighbor. The writer went on and on about how people are
filling their lives with all sorts of activities that look like hope
for the future, but in reality is a cover for their internal loss of
hope in the future of peace and security in their country. False hope
gives itself away when the people who have it become desperately
involved in doing what it takes to get what they want. I often see the
same kind of hope showing itself in the lives of those who call
themselves Christians. They say they are trusting Jesus to save them,
but are totally focused on doing what it takes to make their dreams a
reality. The source of this kind of hope, false hope actually, is
always found in what they can do, what they are counting on the people
around them to be doing, and the irrational hope they have that because
they want something this badly it has to happen their way.
The
hope that God wants for his kids doesn’t look like what we have just
been describing. The hope that God want us to have is based on where
our hope comes from. Our hope comes from knowing the God of the Bible
as our Father, the Savior of the Bible as our Good Shepherd and the
Spirit that makes God’s will actually happen is living in us, is praying
for us and will do through us When we have this heavenly hope in our
hearts, we will also be filled and then refilled and refilled again with
joy and peace that comes as we go through the growth steps of life.
Will we be defeated some of the time? You bet. But because we know
that God has a daily plan for our lives, we know that what hurts us
today will in some way add to our peace and joy tomorrow. We don’t
understand everything that is going on, but God’s Holy Spirit keeps
giving us genuine confidence that God knows what is going on and that
his plans never fail. May the Lord grant us that wonderful, joyful,
peaceful hope that flows from his Spirit through us for his eternal
glory.
Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of
hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in
him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Roy Wisner
