Hope

A topic for meditation

We are told this in 1 Peter 3:15

“…but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”

That’s the bottom-line for a Christian isn’t it? Christ is all about hope. Hope for the down-trodden, hope for the sick. Hope for the poor and starving. Hope for the dying. Hope for a better tomorrow.

Hope is what everyone wants. Without it we’re … well, we’re hopeless.

What is hope? Hope is knowing the bad things in our lives will come to an end. Hope is the confidence that something good is happening or is about to happen. Evangelism simply means to offer hope to those in need.

There is a good deal of anticipation in hope. That anticipation needs to be watered regularly to keep it growing. That watering comes from many places. It comes from God’s Word. It comes from Christian literature. It comes from sermons. It comes from service. It comes from association with other Christians.

If you, as a Christian, aren’t bubbling over with hope, you are missing the point of your faith. Hope is the thing that ignites fires in hearts. Everyone wants their difficulties to end. If you clearly exhibit hope no matter what the situation, others will want it too.

Sadly, hope may be real or false, and there are people (no doubt urged on by the enemy) who take advantage of the great power in hope for personal gain. Some have distorted the teaching of Christ in order to produce false hope which they dispense for profit. Others assert that hope cannot be found in Christianity and lead people away from truth.

Through such efforts, many in our nation, even in the world, are losing hope. Depression and suicide rates are climbing. Some well-meaning Christians have reacted to the situation by trying to urge their faith onto a suspicious population with poor results. A better approach is needed for social hope to grow again

Jesus tells us how in Matthew 5:14-16 —

“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, the lamp is put on a stand, where it gives light to everyone around. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

That light is the hope that is within you. You don’t have to urge that light on anyone. If people see it, they’ll want it.

Hope is a great topic for meditation. The Holy Spirit seems to have a great deal of teaching available on this subject and presenting it to you is, I believe, a labor of love.

If you intend to meditate on the idea of hope, here are some Bible verses that may be of help — Proverbs 13:12, Isaiah 40:31, Romans 15:13.

P. S. Hope and joy, like two close sisters, are rarely separated. Laughter is the faithful servant of joy.

Copyright © 2019 Sam Dronebarger | All rights reserved