A Living Hope

I was reading a Christian book recently, and this verse, along with many others about the living hope we have in Jesus, stood out strongly. I caught hold of it in my spirit. It is LIVING! It’s not the dead hope the world offers that lets you down, in disappointment, or doesn’t even materialise. This one can’t fail because it’s sourced by God Himself, and is always there, full of life and energy, always on offer to God’s children. Romans 5:5 says, ‘And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us’. You may not feel that love where you are just now, but it’s a promise that God has made – and He never fails to keep His promises. Where His love is, hope is too. They will always be there. ‘These three remain: faith, hope and love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13), always and forever. Faith takes hold of God’s promises and hope comes in.

We often have to wait for things in God – it may not be the right time; we may not ask for the things that are best for us; we may need to have our character developed further before God can trust us with something – but we don’t have to wait for hope. It’s already there for us. Faith and hope work together in trusting our Father God to do whatever He wants for our good. We are finite beings with finite understanding but, when we trust in God, who’s infinite and of infinite understanding, and who loves us with a love much greater than we can imagine, we can know that hope which keeps us from disappointment or despondency in our lives, no matter what we’re going through, or what’s going on around us.

Although I’d read this scripture scores of times, it impacted me in a whole new way recently. Because of the things I’ve been going through over the last year or so, I’d been finding myself sliding down into despondency and not being able to pull myself out. But the Lord moved someone to give me a Christian book, and He’s spoken this particular truth of the living hope into my spirit, which has made all the difference to me.

So, if you’re going through a tough time right now, grab hold of this truth in your spirit – you have a LIVING HOPE because of what Jesus has done and is doing for you and in you. The passage of time doesn’t limit God’s purposes for your life. Keep hold of this truth and speak out your faith and trust in the goodness of your Heavenly Father. He’s promised that He will complete what He’s begun in you. Hope keeps our eyes on Him rather than our circumstances, and that’s the key - looking unto Him who is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You’ve given us a living hope because of Jesus who died in our place and rose again to give us new life. Help us to keep our eyes on Him when everything around us is feeling dark or hopeless. Give us that word which resonates in our spirit and keeps us from looking at ourselves, but focuses us on looking to You. Amen.