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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
The Bible, God’s Word, promises us hope. Through the words of those inspired by God, we learn of God’s desire for us, his children. Hope is defined as the reliance on God’s blessing and provision; the expectation of future good.1It is hope in the Lord that keeps His children going during times of financial strain, loss of occupation, health crises of ourselves and our families, and emergencies that enter our lives.
Biblical Views about Hope
In his first letter to the Corinthian believers, The Apostle Paul speaks of the qualities that remain in morally corrupt Corinth. “And now, these three remain; faith, hope and love”2Faith is the foundation and content of God’s message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action.3
Peter tells God’s chosen that He “has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1Peter1:3)
A living hope is a strong, evident attitude that encourages others. The hope of Christ gives us something to hang onto when all else disintegrates before us.
When Hope Is Lost
From time to time we may lose hope, just for a while. When we experience intense sadness, prolonged depression, we find we can’t look forward to anything with eagerness. A person with a prolonged state of depression needs to receive professional help. If one plagued with a deep state of hopelessness (depression) doesn’t get help, he or she might decide to take his or her own life. Having been close to some people who chose to do this makes me very concerned for those who feel this is the only option they have. I also feel empathy for those who are left behind with no idea of why that person did such a thing.
Hope in our World
In our 21Century world we have need of hope in order to conquer the daily difficulties we see. We have to rely on the Lord to guide us through the woes of unemployment, bankruptcy, catastrophic illness, broken relationships, and failed marriages, just to name a few.
Even in the secular world, we hear songs about our need for hope. We hear people say, “I hope. . .” when talking about a future event, real or perceived. I remember my mother telling me, “I hope, when you have a child, you don’t have to go through what you have put me through.” Looking back on those times, I realize she was frustrated by something I had done.
Hope is a positive asset. It is the opposite of despair. When we trust in the Lord, He implants hope in us. He points out the goodness that can be hidden in the circumstance that brought us low. He does this for us because of His great love for us.
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1. Guideposts Family Concordance, © 1982Thomas Nelson, Inc. page 333.
2. Life Application Bible, New International Version, Tyndale House Publishers Inc. © 1991Page 2083.
3. IBID notes.
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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