Friday, October 30, 2009

hope where?

1 Peter 1:3b-4 say "Now we live with great expectation*, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."
*hope
I was truly saddened earlier this week when I spoke to a close friend.  'Friend' is going through a pretty rough time right now, with the economy, job-loss, mounting bills;  'friend' sounded completely hopeless when we spoke.  Completely.  I don't think I have ever heard anyone sound so without any hope.  Ever.

After talking to 'friend' , I wondered about my own hope. Where's my hope?  Where do I put my great expectations? Where do I find it?  What is it set in?  I learned that if I discovered what I feared losing, I would also find what I put my hope in?   Since the resurrection of Christ, the mercy & grace it provides, the salvation received & the inheritance that awaits cannot be lost, if my hope is there, my hope also cannot be lost.  Oh, I may be saddened, grieve, weep over things or people or dreams that may be lost along the way of life.  But ultimately my hope will not be lost if my hope lies in Jesus Christ alone and not in those things.
*
 I think this might be a good time to memorize a verse (to remind myself of later, when I'm forgetting where my hope lies)...
Psalm 33:20-22 "We put our hope in the LORD.  He is our help & our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.  Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone."

1 comment:

Lori said...

oh how true....
I will lift up "friend" to the Lord and pray that they will know this hope that we can have, in Christ alone.
I truly can't imagine my life and my state of mind if I didn't have Jesus there, keeping me from....who knows what?

blessings to you, my friend.