"A Word About Hope"

People need hope! But most do not know the hope from the Lord. Most hope is nothing more than a 'wishing' or 'good luck' type of hope. It is based on nothing in the mind other than a positive wishing that nothing bad will happen. Simply put, most people's hope is in fate.

We need hope, real genuine, life sustaining hope and if you are in Christ, you have it! Hope is not mere wishing or longing but expecting, a confident expecting. When one has hope, there is a sense of assurance and confidence because they know that whatever the conclusion is, it will be completely satisfying. How can we have such assurance? Listen carefully: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (I Pet. 1:3) We will face difficulties but none more difficult than what our Lord faced. Our hope should not be weak because nothing we face are like the mockings that Jesus our Lord heard while hanging on the cross. The powers that stood against Him are greater than anything that we will ever stand against, even when facing difficult health and situations of life. Christ rose in victory for our assurance! That's hope, our hope!! "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16 33) Jesus knew His victory because of the hope set before Him. He had hope before He was taken to death. Take courage!

To know He is victorious on our behalf lifts our hearts. One day, all these struggles we face will be nothing but a mere shadow of what is ours! We have a reason to hope and our hope is based on His resurrection which gives us a great expectation. He won our victory. He overcame life's difficulties and He is ours!!! I know things we see will affect us and sometimes will be an emotional downer, but Christ is alive and is our Lord. He is alive and has been raised, not only because God promised Him, but He promised us. If Christ really raised to a glorious life after His death, that single fact should be enough to offset the difficulties in our personal lives. Bottom line: if Christ has truly risen, the rest really doesn't matter, does it?