Hope

His Word Speaks. I love studying the Word of God. You can read the same book, chapter or verse over and over and each time God will show you something new and your understanding goes deeper and grows closer to the heart of God. His word “is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12) Every time I open it God speaks to me, teaches me, encourages me, admonishes me and lets me know how loved I am.

(I wonder if that is why some don’t like to read or study the Word of God for themselves?)

A Living Hope: This week I have continued my study on 1 Peter, still in chapter one and just had to share some things I saw today. It so powerfully struck my heart.

In verse 3 of Chapter 1 I am reminded that I am born again, not because of anything I have done but because in God’s great mercy He has caused me to be born again. I am “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Look at that again and ask yourself what kind of hope? What is LIVING hope?

 Hope in the Greek means “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” Living means it is something that comes to us every day; it is something that is available all the time.

We have a living hope in Jesus Christ who is alive from the dead. He is the answer to all our broken dreams, the collapsed hopes of your life and mine, the pressures that we feel from day to day, the sense of our failure and the inability to perform as we would like to perform.

In the New Testament you can see how these early Christians were filled with a constant sense of the presence of Jesus with them. Everywhere they went they did so with joy and optimism and expectation. They knew Christ was alive, they had seen it and experienced it. They were living in the day to day knowing that Jesus was their LIVING HOPE!

Today, Christ is still our living Hope, He is alive. He desires to meet us where we are. He will meet you in the pressures of life.

How are you doing as you walk through the day?  When struggles, trials and suffering come your way do you hope that all things will work out and move on trying in your own strength, your own abilities. Or do you place your circumstances in the hands of the One who offers Living Hope?

Jesus is the only one who is capable of handling it.

Jesus thank you for your sacrifice on the cross. Help me to not only see the suffering you endured for my sins but that because you now LIVE I can walk daily with a hope that is living. Forgive me for so often thinking I can handle things on my own. The results are never good and my hopes are often crushed. Help me to see that You alone can hand the struggles of my life in a way that offers hope and live to my soul. Oh how I love you and desire to walk in living hope.Amen