Love to hear from and know who is listening

As winter comes to an end and spring begins I find myself looking forward to planting my garden. I will watch the forecast and think I sure hope we have past the last frost of the year. Once the garden is growing and the spring showers and storms begin I watch the weather and say I sure hope that there isn't any hail in that thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon. On those days when I have to take my wife to her doctor in the city I will say to her, I sure hope there isn't very much traffic on our way to the doctors office. Each one of these are hopes that are based upon my own personal preferences, on my own personal desires. As a faithful Christian our hope is different from that of the world. 

1 Peter 1:3 CSB Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

We often use the word hope as wishful thinking. If you have ever had a loved one that is suffering with cancer you may have said, I sure hope the doctor's treatment is successful and that they can be cancer free. We have a desire for something to go a certain way with no real guarantee that it will. But the hope that Scripture offers is something far greater. As believers, our hope is alive. It’s grounded in the unshakable reality of Jesus Christ, who defeated death and rose from the grave. Hope in Jesus Christ is not a mere wish for a better tomorrow; it is a "living hope" anchored in the resurrection. Unlike worldly optimism, which depends on changing circumstances, biblical hope is a firm assurance based on God’s unchanging character. 

Romans 15:13 CSB Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When life feels overwhelming and darkness seems to linger, as faithful Christians our hope acts as an anchor for the soul. We can navigate difficult times by shifting our perspective from temporary circumstances to eternal promises. A Christian’s hope isn’t dependent on what might happen in the future. It’s a steady anchor in what’s already been done. Peter reminds us that our hope isn’t based on changing circumstances but on a past, unchanging truth: Jesus is risen. And the same God who raised Him from the dead is at work in our lives. Because of God’s great mercy, we are born again into this living hope.

Philippians 3:10 ESV That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

If we look at life only through our current circumstances, we’ll find ourselves constantly chasing temporary hopes - hoping things will improve, hoping this season will pass, hoping our situation will change. But that kind of hope drains us, leaving us on a roller-coaster of emotions. A Christian’s hope isn’t dependent on what might happen in the future. It’s a steady anchor in what’s already been done. Jesus didn’t just die for our sins; He conquered death, rising in victory. And with His resurrected life, He offers us the same hope, the same assurance of life beyond death. We too are only passing through this world. Our present struggles, trials, and even victories aren’t our final destination. Biblical hope, however, lifts our eyes to the eternal, to the certainty that Christ holds all things in His hands. 

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