Put Your Hope in God!

Hope is essential for all of us. Imagine life without hope, it would be tragic. In one way or another one has to cling to a certain hope. Some put their hope in fame, money, power, family, a loved one and so on. Yet in truth to hope in these things is rather hopeless because sooner or later these things will come to an end.

The world’s hope is an “I hope-so” kind of hope. It is unstable. But the hope we have in God is an “I know-so” kind of hope. John Piper defines hope in the New Testament as full assurance, or strong confidence that God is going to do good to us in the future. It is sure. It is safe. It is certain. It is guaranteed. Putting our hope in God is as sure as we know that His mercies are new every morning. It is as certain as the birds of the air that God will provide for them everyday. It is as secure as Abraham that God will fulfill His promise of being a great nation. It is as confident we are that the nothing can separate us from His love.

The Apostle Peter calls the hope we have in God, a living hope. It is not dead but alive. This brings us comfort knowing that this living hope is the active kind of hope because it is continuous. It sustains. And it doesn’t end. And it is a living hope only because it is rooted on the fact that there is an empty tomb because Jesus Christ did not remain dead. That on the third day He rose from the grave. Our living hope is rooted in the certainty that Jesus is alive forevermore. Thus, our hope is never in vain.

When we see the troubles of this world and experience the troubles of this life and we are tempted to succumb that there is not much of a good future ahead, remember our living hope we have in Christ. It is indestructible. Our living hope enables us to stand firm in the midst of trouble knowing that our hope is sealed in the risen Christ.

Why so downcast O my soul? Put your hope in God!