Infused with Hope
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
Ps 62:5 (NIV)
Has there ever been a time when there was more unrest in this world? There is such calamity on every turn- fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, rampant sickness and cancer…people taking aim and killing people they have never even met.
People are despondent and hopeless. So many people are depressed and seeking solace in a bottle, in recreational drugs, and in taking their own life. At times, it seems like we are on a runaway train without an engineer behind the wheel.
But that notion could not be any further from the truth. God is still on the throne in heaven, watching over the affairs of men. He is still reaching out His hands in love to the hurting, to those who are without hope in this crazy world. He has already offered His only begotten Son as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Jesus has paid the price for our hope, our eternal life, and our acceptance by our Creator.
So then, why are so many still hopeless?
I feel like the answer to that is twofold. First of all, we, as Christians, have to constantly be refreshed in His presence. We must be refilled with His unconditional love, His hope, His provision. We have to- as this verse says, find rest in God alone. We have to recognize that He is the only hope in this world. People try, but they fail us. Doctors and therapists can only do so much. But God, our Sovereign God, who created all things and intimately knows each one of His creations, knows exactly what we need. He knows how to help us and is constantly making that help available to us.
The ravages of life are no match for his unfailing love, peace, grace and presence. We have to constantly come and sit at His feet and find refreshing for our soul. We must be replenished with all the virtues that life constantly seeks to drain from us. Then, and only then, can we walk in a position of confidence and power.
Secondly, we, who are born of this imperishable hope, have to reach out to those who do not have this hope. We have to move beyond trying to constantly keep the saved in the doors of the church and reach a lost and dying world. We were not saved just to heap up joy and blessings for ourselves. We are filled up to pour out.
Our mandate is to go into all the world and preach the gospel. To see people come to saving knowledge of Him and to disciple them. But all of that is to the end of furthering His kingdom. We remain on Earth to make a difference- to show others there is hope, that there is rest, that there is peace.
There is no doubt about it. Life is trying, even for Christians. But we cannot afford to be internally focused at this crucial point in history. We must share our Hope. His name is Jesus. We must be plugged into Him constantly and always be ready to share the good news- the gospel- with a lost and dying world.
Do you need to find hope today? Jesus waits to be everything that you will ever need in your life. You need only invite Him in.
Do you have hope? With whom could you share your hope today?
Dear Lord, I pray for those who feel alone, unloved, hopeless and despondent. Help them to find their hope in you, and empower the church to share that hope with all we meet. Help us to shine forth a beacon light of rest and safety. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Great reminder that we are to share His hope with the hopeless.
I can’t live a day without having hope, while others put their hope in things that will pass away, my hope is in Christ alone. He will never fail me! Good Word!