Hope

Hope is a word thrown around nonchalantly and with great ease these days.  People use it in reference to the mundane, the political, and the spiritual.  Something in us longs for HOPE.  If we have not hope, we will surely despair and fall into the deep abyss of depression.  


Hope is only as good as its object.  We can hope that the weather will be nice on Saturday, but if our hope is placed in the weather, then we may find ourselves severely disappointed when it showers non-stop during our child's baseball game.  We can hope that the next President will make all of our wildest dreams come true, but find ourselves disillusioned and disgusted when he turns out to be just another politician.  We can hope that the Savior of mankind is going to return, even on a specific date, only to find ourselves empty and victimized because our hope wasn't in Jesus but in a flawed human who happened to be obsessed with numerology.


Hope is only as good as its object.


If you're placing your hope in a method, a weatherman, a formula, a doctor, a lawyer, a president, a government office, a salesman, a spouse, a child, a predicted date, you, my friend, will be disappointed.  If you place your HOPE in the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who is "I AM," the Alpha and Omega, the Prince of Peace, the Savior of the World, the King of Kings--you will not be disappointed.  

Romans 5:1-5

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^b rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we^c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

He is our peace.  His glory is our HOPE.  Because of this, we can REJOICE in sufferings.  Hope does not disappoint because He has poured out His love on us!!!

If you lack HOPE, ask yourself:

Where do I place my hope?

Hope is ONLY as good as its object.