1 Corinthians 15:19
If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
I can’t imagine life without hope. I can’t imagine living in misery and not even
knowing it, being unaware of my hopelessness.
Each time a challenge or trial comes, great or minute, I think and often
say, “I don’t know how people live without God, without hope that Someone is in
control.” As much of a control freak as
I am, I’m becoming more and more grateful that I am not in charge! I don’t have to know, see, or understand it
all; and I definitely don’t have to be the one worrying about it all!
Perhaps the only thing worse than heartbreak is watching
someone you love experiencing heartbreak – you can’t fix it, change it, or make
it better. And even if you could, would
you? Having been through tough times,
growing and changing, learning of God’s faithfulness, would you go back and
change them? Would you prevent someone
you love from experiencing heartaches if you knew they would be better because
of them? If you could see the past and
future, if you knew every plan and thought, would you prevent hurts? Would you keep everyone from everything bad
ever, even if it made them better, stronger, more humble, more loving, more
compassionate?
Paul uses the word “hope” with such ease and yet, with a
complexity that begs further inspection.
What is it about hope that makes it so great? What is it that draws us to itself and pulls
us through tough times? Personally, I’m
beginning to believe it is so much more than the hope itself. Maybe there is something beyond hope. What is beyond hope? What could be deeper, stronger, more
inspiring? How about Almighty God? Omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable, faithful,
sovereign Creator of the universe, caring about you and me! Seeing the past and the future, knowing each
of our thoughts, wiping our tears before we cry them, giving us the ultimate in
hope.
Whether you are in a valley or on a mountain; whether you
love the holidays or wish they would end already and stop coming every year;
whether you are continually surrounded by loved ones or have never known what
it’s like to love and be loved – I have good news! There is hope! And if you know Jesus, there is beyond hope!
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