True Hope

 

“Hope is the only tie which keeps the heart from breaking.” Thomas Fuller

 When was the last time that you had the experience of getting into a new show highly recommended by a friend, but just a few episodes into it you’re bored to tears and are like, “Am I missing something? Am I dumb? Does everyone else have a much more sophisticated entertainment palate than me?” Or you wonder how the storyline of a movie can possibly end well? Things are a mess now, but you hold out hope…“I know they’ll pull it back around at the end; it will all make sense.” But then it doesn’t. 

  Sociologists tell us that the primary American emotion is disappointment. Disappointment is the cause of much of the hidden trauma in American life. Another word for it is “hopelessness.

  Did you know that the Bible mentions the word hope over 120 times? Hope is one of the most important foundations for the Christian. Biblical hope has as its foundation, faith in God and His Word. So while the word hope in English often conveys doubt, for instance, “I hope it won’t rain tomorrow,” that’s not the meaning of hope in God’s Word. Biblical hope is a reality, not a feeling. It carries no doubt. It’s a sure foundation upon which we base our lives, believing and knowing we can trust God no matter what.  

  There are many reasons why people become hopeless, but God and His Word answer every one of them with His sustaining hope. These are some of the more common sources of hopelessness.

  You feel alone or abandoned. On October 4, 1970, famed rock star Janis Joplin, at the age of 27 was found dead in her hotel room. Questions arose as to whether the cause of her tragic death was suicide or an accident. Just before the incident, Janis had confided to a friend, “When I am not on the theatre stage I just lie around and watch television and feel very lonely.”

  You can be in a crowd and feel overwhelmed by loneliness. One can be married or have a family, and struggle with loneliness. Amazingly, in a culture with so many ways to stay connected, loneliness is an epidemic.

  The Lord Jesus understands our feelings of loneliness. He faced them, too. His closest friends – the disciples – didn’t help Him when He needed them most. In the darkest hour of His life, He was all by Himself, crying out to God. His friends weren’t praying with Him, instead, they fell asleep. When He needed them most, they abandoned Him. Yet, to those of us who have trusted Him as our Lord and Savior, He’s promised:  “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

  You feel like life is out of control. We typically experience this in one or more of five different areas of life:  time, money, family, relationships, aging/health. Many are experiencing a growing sense of being out of control in some area of life. While days are twenty-four hours in length, we constantly feel hurried. We seem to have more to do and less time to do it in. Though our world is very affluent, many struggle with intense worry that there won’t be enough. There is often a growing sense of despair.

  Jesus told us that He came to give “abundant life” to those who follow Him. The abundant life is one that’s free of hurry, worry, loneliness, anger or despair.  Jesus put it this way in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” A very real part of being a Christ-follower is the experience of a qualitatively different way of life, a fulfilled one. While our lives may at times feel out of control, our Heavenly Father has the smallest detail under His complete control and we can trust Him.  

  You’ve done something terribly wrong. With the Lord Jesus, nothing is beyond being made right. On the cross, He died for our worst mistakes – all of our sins – past, present and future. Yet, what could be more hopeless than to have murdered someone and then be sentenced to death?

  Karla Faye Tucker was an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of two people and sentenced to death. Soon after being imprisoned, she took a Bible from the prison ministry program and read it in her cell. She later recalled, “I didn’t know what I was reading. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of my cell floor on my knees. I was just asking God to forgive me.” Karla Faye became a Christian in October 1983. Though in 1998 she was executed for her crimes, in one of her last interviews she gave glory to Christ for transforming her life. Some of her last words were: “...I would like to say to all of [the family of the victims] — that I am so sorry. I hope God will give you peace with this…Everybody has been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I am going to be face to face with Jesus now…I will see you all when you get there. I will wait for you.” As the lethal chemicals were administered, she was praising the Lord. It’s the same hope our Savior gave to the dying thief. We too can have that hope.

  You’ve been deeply wounded by someone. Family members are frequently those we trust the most. Our mate is the one we expect to be closest to—until death do us part. We have a deep love for our children, but they can often turn on us. We expect even the closest person in our lives to die eventually, but as painful as that is, it’s not betrayal.

  Betrayal by a spouse, child, family member, or close friend is devastating. It produces a feeling of worthlessness for having trusted an untrustworthy person. It breeds anger and depression. It causes us to second-guess ourselves and raises questions about our judgment. Because of this person’s knowledge of our heart, it’s a devastating wound.

  Many Bible heroes experienced this hurt during their lives: Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. They show us that we’re not alone. They also show how to handle betrayal and not succumb to bitterness. Jesus’ words from the cross must become our words, “Father, forgive them.”

  One of the wonderful traits of our Heavenly Father is that He will never turn on us or break a promise. Sin cuts us off from God, but He provided a Savior for us. And though God may step back for a little while when we need to learn lessons about the cost of sin, He still loves us and will never forget us or abandon us. We’re His children and He loves us no matter what, even when we’re a hot mess. So while this world may be hopeless, our heavenly Father is the God of hope – our hope! Always remember that!

Can we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.