Our Hope, Always
April 3, 2020
By Marianna Meachen, Director of Care Ministries
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
My mother turned nine just two-and-a-half months before Pearl Harbor was bombed. Mother said the only thing they knew about Hawaii in the small Kentucky town where she lived was that it was an American territory in the middle of the Pacific.
She remembered that people were very upset about the bombing and because the adults were worried, she was afraid. She said to my grandmother, “I’m scared. What if that (the bombing of Pearl Harbor) happens to us? Her mother looked at her and said, “Keep your eyes on Jesus and you’ll be fine. He is our hope, always.”
Sage words from a woman of great faith.
The general definition of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, but the biblical definition of hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength in His faithfulness.
It is easy during this time for many people to feel hopeless and frightened. They are losing their income due to having to stay at home. Some feel trapped without the freedom to go where they want and when they want. For some not knowing the future causes stress and anxiety. Someone who is hopeless and alone usually cannot help themselves out of their situation, which causes them to have a sense of loss and helplessness.
One of the greatest gifts we can have is hope. Apart from God, the world can be an awful, hopeless place. But with God's help, we can make it. Whatever situation you find yourself in at this very moment, there is hope. You may not be able to see or feel the hope, but it is there for you. We do not need to be anxious and feel alone. You can have hope! God's love in our hearts will ignite the flames of hope we have buried deep inside our hearts. God's Word will encourage us as we read it with great anticipation and faith.
We are now sheltering in place because of COVID-19, something scary and new to us. We need have no fear or anxiety for our true shelter, our true hope, is in Jesus. How do we find the hope? There is only one place where our true shelter and our true hope is in Jesus. Let us look to Him, always.
Abba, Father, let us look to you first and always as our source of comfort and courage. Remind us daily that you hold us in the palm of your hand. There is nothing too hard for you to handle. You are our hope, Lord. Help us to always stay focused on you. Amen.