The Power of Hope
Hope has power. If I didn’t have hope, I don’t know what I would do. There’s so much going on in this world today that causes me to wonder what will happen next. I turn on the news. There are constant breaking alerts as the latest scandal or major accident has occurred. I have to admit that at times I want to simply block it out. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Genesis 1:1 says …”God created the heavens and the earth.” Verses 26-27 go on to say, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” In verse 31 it says, “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”
It didn’t take long before things went south. Chapter 3 of Genesis records the account of Eve being tempted by the crafty serpent in the garden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In case you think Adam was an innocent bystander, think again.
Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
Adam and Eve attempted to hide from God after sinning. Hmm …doesn’t that sound familiar? How often do people run from God? But in His mercy and love, He covered them.
Genesis 3:21-23 says, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.”
But that’s not the end of the story. It’s a story of hope and restoration after all. Even though sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God wasn’t surprised by this. In His love, He promised a Messiah who would come into this world and provide a way.
His name is Jesus.
John 1:9-13 says, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
This Christmas season is a time of hope. Jesus is our hope in a world that is filled with darkness and sin. What can you do?
- Admit that you are a sinner
- Confess your sin to God
- Receive Jesus into your heart as your Savior
- Surrender your life to Him
God provides a way back to Him. There is only one way and Jesus is His name. His birth and perfect life, death and resurrection provided a way for us to be right with God and …to have peace even now. He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us, comfort us and guide us. We are not alone. He provides us with all we need.
So, no matter what the news headlines say we can have hope. This life is not all there is; it is just the beginning. I have this hope and peace in my heart so I can look forward to eternity and the life that is to come.
How about you? Will you pray to receive this free gift from God this Christmas?
Blessings and love,
Amen to that, Debbie. There is a lot of darkness, and so many people will not see that there is hope. Hope that comes from God through Jesus. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.