Posts with the tag “hope”

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” - Hebrews 6:19  Why is hope so valuable? Can’t we live  joyfully and peaceably without it? Consider the Hebrews 6 imagery of hope acting as an anchor of the soul. An anchor is used to s=teady a ship, to keep it from drifting and floating int troubled waters. When an anchor is “sur...  Read More

“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thess. 5:8, 9  Recently, I stood at the bedside of a church member who was near death. As I prayed with the family, I felt their peace. Although there were tears ...  Read More

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” - Romans 15:13  When Paul closed his letter to the church at Rome, he invoked ”the God of hope,” the source of joy and peace. The benediction implies that our joy and peace depend on hope. Joy is not the same as happiness. We often experience happiness when something ...  Read More

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" - Lamentations 3:22-24  Whenever we are knocked down, we may be tempted to lose hope. The prophet Jeremiah basically held a funeral for the city of Jerusalem. In the book of Lamentations, his...  Read More

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,” - Psalm 33:22  In our culture the word hope implies “wishful thinking.” We say’ “I hope it’s going to rain” or “I hope I get that job.” Biblical hope, however, is the future tense of faith. Hebrews 11:1 teaches, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for” or of what the future holds. Hope says, “I...  Read More

**Scripture:** “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself.” - Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)Humility is a cornerstone of our faith. Jesus exemplified this in His life by choosing to humbly serve rather than seek recognition or glory. As we endeavor to follow His lead, o...  Read More

I was confronted with the uncomfortable reality that, if there is no God, life has no inherent meaning. Philosophers like Bertrand Russell and Nietzsche have acknowledged this— without God, life becomes a meaningless existence. But for those of us who know Christ, life is filled with purpose, meaning, and hope.Believing in God radically changes everything. It gives us a foundation for peace, becau...  Read More