“I Hope So.”
You are all healthy and happy today, I hope.
We tend to use the idea of hope rather casually. “I hope you are feeling better,” we might say. Or if your favorite college football team is going up against Oregon, your friend might say, “They’re gonna win tonight!” Your reply may be, “I hope so!”
There’s nothing wrong with using the idea of hope in this way. It’s like a wish for something you want to have happen. But hope means much more than mere whim or fancy. Hope is like jet fuel that pushes men and women to tremendous heights. Hope is like the last swallow of water in a canteen—without it, the spirit of a weary soul will wither in the desert of life’s troubles. Hope is like a life ring thrown from a ship to a soul adrift in the icy waters of fear and confusion. At least, I hope it is for my new friend.
A woman from Iran came to me for help yesterday. She needed some gas for her car. I often get request for financial assistance, usually by phone. These requests are challenging for me. I recognize that one of the four areas where God has directed us to use money is for those in need. Yet, in my experience, often those who are asking for money are not the ones truly in need.
But my new friend was different. She explained that she had 3 children: ages 15, 14, and 12. But the State had taken her children away. I became more cautious and concerned. Our church has had some experience with families where drug addiction had taken its toll. This is one reason when helping individuals, I never give away cash, but will personally buy food for the person; or in this case, personally pump the gas into her car.
I used the opportunity to witness to my new friend. I asked if she had ever heard about Jesus. She said “no.” I began to tell her about the Savior of all nations as the 87 octane poured into her gas tank. I asked why her children had been taken from her. She replied, “I used to hurt myself.” She pointed to her wrists bearing about 50 scars from knife slashes. “But I’m O.K. now,” she concluded. I spoke to her more about Jesus. I had to walk back to church for the Bible Study which was about to begin. As I left my new friend, I said, “With Jesus there is always hope. There’s always hope.” She thanked me, then drove away.
There is always hope—this message is not new to you. It is perhaps too often that we live and breathe shallow. We live too worldly and concern ourselves with things unimportant and temporary. We are unaware of how the subtle influences of worldly thinking creep into our decisions and calendars. How stealthily sin scrapes and slithers into our lives.
Because of said sin, your Savior endured pain and punishment. Through the Savior’s sacrifice, your sin has been removed and you are now at one with God. Through Christ’s perfect life, you stand perfect in God’s sight. Because of Jesus, you will always have hope. You always have hope.
1Pe 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
I encourage you today to renew hope in your heart and mind. Recognize areas where you have been living shallow, and ask your Lord to deepen your life, as he promised, to give you “life to the full.”
Thought for the day: We seldom know exactly what someone is going through. Remember that every interaction you have with someone today is a gift—an opportunity to show love to someone who may be in dire need of love and support.
Prayer Idea: Ask God for a deeper understanding and appreciation for the hope he gives. Pray for help in recognizing opportunities to help those who have no hope, or those whose faith is weak or troubled. Praise God for blessing you with a living hope.
Blessings on your week!
Pastor Dan