I'm not sure if any of us ponder how to do it, it just is. God designed every human heart to hope. It's a future expectation of good things to come. We don't usually hope for something bad, however, we do tend to dumb it down to wishful thinking. Its emphasis seems to come most when it's lacking. We don't do well when we're hopeless. Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12a).
So if our hearts were designed to hope, why then does hopelessness abound? Perhaps, as I alluded to, we've lowered the bar. Are we becoming as numb to hope as we have to sin? We talked about sin last time; if we don't realize that we utterly fall short of the glory of God, we'll miss the beauty of the cross. If there is no sin, there's no need for a Savior. Likewise, without saving grace, hope easily turns to hopelessness. It's no wonder so many struggle with anxiety and depression.
What are you hoping for? A better life, that it will stop raining, Mr. or Mrs. right, the right frying pan? Or maybe like me, you're hoping for healing from a chronic illness. Of course I'm not at all saying these are bad to hope for, however, they are temporary and will never fully satisfy.
Hopelessness begins with the absence of God (see Ephesians 2:12). Think for a moment about the complexity of the human body; how every part fits together and operates. It's simply amazing. And the Universe; isn't it incredible how it all works in unison and sustains life? Imagine the faith it must take to believe that somehow it all happened with a big BANG, and then when it's over, nothing, it's just over. I wonder how hope could live there?
Can hope live where God exists as Creator but chooses not to interfere or interact with His creation? I guess that could seem like a logical conclusion with the world and suffering as it is. However, this actually a place that can breed self dependence and control. Trust me, I know it well, I was there a very long time and I can honestly say with confidence that hope definitely does not live there.
How about the valley of lukewarm, where God is put in a box and the creation makes the creator into whomever suits them. This is the ever changing god, so I don't know, do you see hope living there?
Trust in logic, in your own perspective, or in your feelings and you will be deceived. Hope does not survive on such things.
Peter is about to tell us how hope actually does survive in his letter to believers, who, because of persecution, were scattered throughout the world. He gives us a clear indication of the power of the One true God and the living hope He offers—
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 NIV
A living hope. A hope that is alive. One that doesn't disappoint (see Romans 5:5) and is eternal through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly awaiting His to return (see Philippians 3:20).
and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
1 Peter 1:4 NLT
I love the verbiage here. These words have been hijacked by the world along with so many others—Pure and Undefiled, words that can only be associated with Jesus. Our inheritance is incorruptible and can not fail. Salvation begins at surrender.
And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1-5 NLT
God's power and man's faith intersect. This is an inheritance that is preserved only for His beloved. God is protecting you until your salvation is fully revealed.
For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clearly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God.
(1 Corinthians 13:12 Voice)
There is a living hope that sustains us until 'that day'.
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