A life makes little sense without hope. The Bible refers to it as the anchor of our soul. Hope that is seen, it’s not really hope. So says Romans 8:24. No, hope that is not seen we must wait for, it requires patience. Patience is a tremendous virtue because it teaches us how to abide underneath the covering of another. In our case that covering is God and his Word. In this abiding, we can even bear fruit. In this abiding , we can have our prayers answered. It is an abiding in love as we are told in John chapter 15.
So what does hope do for us believers? Hope tells you , that “you can do it.” You can do it because Christ is in you, the hope of glory. What a miraculous thing. The miracle of the indwelling Christ, united you to all that He is and has accomplished through his death, burial, resurrection , ascension , and session. In a nutshell, because of this unity with Christ, the old dreadful person, that old man and it’s shame, has died and been buried. A new man has come to life and has been given a heavenly location for living, and has been coronated in a position of authority.
The book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, teaches us that faith activates this hope. Yes, In the listening, reading , studying, meditation on God’s word; and resulting faith, hope can emerge. Romans 10:17 teaches that God’s Word denotes origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds from; out of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative.) It comes from above, from God himself.
So what did we get?
Romans 8:32 gives an answer, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Peter tells us that all things that pertain to life and godliness have been given to us. Friends, in Christ we have received all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We have been given the hope of glory, a confident expectation of things to come, the very real reality that we will see Him, be like Him, see Him as he is. In Christ we have eternal life, a quality of life which had no beginning and will have no ending.
Friends, we have Christ, this great high priest, the one who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities , having been tested in all points yet without sin. This priest is able to succor us, comfort us in time of need. Our high priest understands the hopelessness of our human condition, the abject helplessness. He knows what pain feels like, yes physical and also mental. He knows the pain of losing a loved one, he wept for the wandering souls scattered throughout the land, and in particular, his homeland. He acknowledged that ,”they know not what they do.” Ezekiel paints a picture of love.
“In thy nativity. …neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but you were cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood,
I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. ‘ Ezekiel 16:4-6
Believers , he has birthed us, not just once, but twice. He has washed us, preserved us, and clothed us. He has breathed in us life. Like Israel in the book of Ezekiel, our time is the time of love. He has decked us with ornaments of grace and mercy. Truth has become a buckler.
In closing,
My daily hope, it’s a meditation on the goodness of God. He has covered all the bases, from abject despair to utter elation. First Thessalonians chapter 4 daily reminds us that he will come for us. Yes we will ascend and meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Never forget it, it’s our blessed hope. Love ya
