Skip to main content

354. I Am Hope


Key Verse: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, Even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
John 11:25-26

Our God is a God of hope. He sees His people in their suffering and offers hope to those who have none. The people in Israel had been in slavery, in Egypt, for a long time. They had been away from the land of Canaan for more than 400 years. They had not come to Egypt to become slaves. They had come to Egypt originally to preserve their lives in a time of famine.

Over time, however, like the frog in the pot, their refuge enslaved them and made their existence a bitter cross to bear. They cried out to the Lord in their anguish. They remembered the promise that He had made to their Father Abraham and they clung to the hope that, even after so long, God would still hear and rescue. We see that their hope is rewarded. God tells Moses that He has indeed heard. He will not only rescue them, but He has prepared a new home for them with blessings beyond what they could ever imagine. For the people, the Exodus was like a physical resurrection or rebirth on this earth. In gaining freedom, they were blessed with the opportunity to start over with a new way of life, a new hope.

He saw the anguish of Mary and Martha as well over the death of their brother Lazarus. They too had little hope, but in Jesus, they found what hope they could in their situation. They hadn’t thought that Jesus would actually raise Lazarus from the dead! Just as God went beyond what the people of Israel could imagine, so now, Jesus went beyond what the two sisters could imagine by restoring their dead brother to them, alive.

It is said that during the Reformation, Luther was reported to have brought an evergreen tree into his home during the winter as a reminder of spring and the life to come, retaining the teachings of St. Boniface. So now, let’s add green to our portrait of Christ, for He is the hope that springs eternal when we trust in Him.

The hope that Christ offers is beyond what we mortals can imagine as well. Who can really describe heaven and living with our savior forever? Who can imagine the possibilities, the accomplishments that can be achieved, when we trust in Him and obey His promptings? We have hope because of Christ. He is “the God of Hope.” (Rom. 15:13) He is our resurrection and our life. Following Him is never predictable as we humans would like it to be. That would be to walk by sight. He calls us to walk by faith. When we walk by faith in Him, leaving the details to Him, the possibilities become endless for what we may do for Him.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

258. "Remember, Always Remember!"

Exodus 12:1-30 Key Verse: "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord a lasting ordinance." Exodus 12:14 "Celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." (Exodus 12:17) "And when your children ask you, "What does this ceremony mean to you?" then tell them, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians." (Exodus 12:27) The original act was an act of worship as the first true act of freedom for the people of Israel. They had been brought to Egypt by Joseph during a time of famine so that through Joseph God could preserve their lives. ( Genesis 37 , & 39-50 ) After Joseph died, however, instead of heading back to C...
Post a Comment
Read more

August 13 What Is Fitting

It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—how much less for a slave to rule over princes! ~Proverbs 19:10   On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man!” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. ~Acts 12:21-23  Wow! Well, what in the world can there be to benefit us here? First of all, perhaps we should review the first Biblical definition of a fool, penned by no other than Solomon’s Father, David himself. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1) It is not fitting for the fool to live the blessed life. Why should they when they deny from whom all blessings flow?  King Herod was a fool. Now, just to be clear, this is not the Herod who ruled at Jesus’ birth and ordered the slaughter of the male children in Bethlehem. He ...
Post a Comment
Read more

July 26 Time for A Wellness Check Up

This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work, this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. ~Ecclesiastes 5:16-20  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everythi...
Post a Comment
Read more