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January 4, 2010 - Being Hopeful in a Hopeless World

"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:7 (NIV)

Happy New Year!  And it truly can be a happy and a hopeful year if we trust in our Lord. Ten years ago we welcomed in this decade by focusing on fear - the fear associated with the possible global failures associated with Y2K.  As the decade continued we saw attacks on our homeland, wars, economic failures, natural disasters, and political unrest that challenged the peace, prosperity, and hope of many seemingly strong people.

Why is it that so many people live in fear and depression?  What has happened to those who put their hope and treasures into what the world defined as success?  The list of concerns has shaken the world of people not grounded in the spiritual truths that provide “true peace”.

Decade of Crisis (2000-2009)
Y2K
USS Cole attacked
911 attacks on Washington and New York                                       
Anthrax Attacks in US
Enron Bankruptcy
Shuttle explodes upon reentry
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Katrina hits the south
Major American manufacturers declare bankruptcy
Tsunami in Indonesia
Collapse of the stock market
Unemployment reaches 10%
Moral failures of role models
Political unrest and uncertainty

Where is our hope?  How can we look to the future with a spirit of peace that transcends the events and problems of the world?  Hope is defined as the expectation of future good.

In the Bible, hope is described as:

Living:     "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Blessed:    "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ," Titus 2:13 (NIV)

Good:     "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope," 2 Thessalonians 2:16 (NIV)

Better:     "(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God." Hebrews 7:19 (NIV)

Sure and steadfast:     "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain," Hebrews 6:19 (NIV)

One of the great virtues:     "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Don’t let the detours of life overwhelm you.  Remember, God knows all the roads and gives us the Holy Spirit as our ultimate GPS.

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