This week was the celebration of the birth of our country. I
do thank God for the privileges and benefits of living in the United States.
Recently, though, I was talking with someone very special to
me about how scary life is right now, not only in other parts of the world, but
also right here in our own country.
Harsh disagreement, uncertainty about the future, and the
heartbreaking, senseless killing. It reminded me of a line from an old song:
“This world is not my home.”
This world is not our hope.
Yes, God wants us to work hard, to be faithful citizens and
loving neighbors. But ultimately, for those of us who claim faith in Jesus,
this world is not our hope. We need to remember this when times are hard, and
even more importantly, we need to share our hope with those around us.
The time we have on earth is less than a speck of dust
compared with the eternity we have with God, and that eternity starts right
now.
God gives us people, events, places, work, and possessions
which are beautiful and which we can and should enjoy. But, in the broken world
we live in, there are also always horrible things happening around us,
sometimes to us.
In Heaven, we will have no more horror. No more crying, no
sorrow, no pain and suffering. More wonder than we can possibly imagine. (Revelation
21)
But the greatest part of my faith is what starts right now,
what God promises even during the ugliness that happens in this world. He is my
loving Father.
He is with me right now. He is holding me, and comforting me,
and guiding me. I am never alone, no matter what happens. I want to share this
hope with everybody around me.
As God’s children, we are not only given this hope, we are
given the right to ask for it.
The Lord will work out
his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t
abandon me, for you made me. Psalm 138:8
“I am leaving you with
a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot
give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27
The Lord is close to
the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has
compassion on those who fear him; Psalm 103:13
Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he
carries us in his arms. Psalms 68:19
Hi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post and encouraging scriptures!
Thank you for sharing that. It's always good to remember that there is something more than what we can see now.
Love, Amy
Kathy, thank you for this post on hope. I think of hope every day. I think it is as important as the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breath. Thank you for the scriptures to remind us where our hope comes from. Blessings!
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