Verse of the Week
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)
Hope is something lacking today. We see nuclear missiles being shot from North Korea and chemical missiles being shot in Syria. There are killers on Facebook and a whole bunch of other terrible things that don’t even make the daily news feed. For example, every 4 seconds someone dies of hunger and most often it is children.
It is not only the big world filled with troubling circumstances. Our personal lives are filled with challenges. We may face cancer, divorce, or financial ruin. There are many reasons we have left to despair. Our hope is continually challenged.
But 1 Peter 1:3 reminds us that we are born again into a living hope. We may still face the challenges of life, but we have a hope and that makes all the difference. Hope is what gets us through. The hope you have will determine your outlook.
No Hope
Some people have no hope. It is a terrible place. If you know of someone who lives with no hope, they are often paralyzed to function. They have trouble getting out of bed. They don’t see a future or anything ever changing. The way to cope is alcohol or drugs to numb the pain. In extreme cases it is suicide.
False Hope
Other people have a false hope. Their hope might be in personal achievement. They believe if they work harder, smarter, or more efficiently they can change things. Or they put their hope in stuff. They think: “if I have enough stored up for myself everything will be okay.” The problem with false hope is that we don’t realize that it is false hope until it is exposed for what it is.
Living Hope
Then there is a living hope. It is Jesus. It is a cross. It is a resurrection. It is a hope that is alive because Jesus is alive. It is eternal hope. It is hope that never fails. It is hope received through faith. It is hope that makes all the difference. It is living hope that is calling us. It is living hope we need.
Sue says
Thank you for this. Your posts are a daily source of hope and faith and help reassure in these difficult and trying times.