Hope, like the gleaming taper’s light
Adorns and cheers our way;
And still, as darker grows the night,
Emits a brighter ray.[1]
1 Peter 1:3 (NKJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Just two weeks ago we celebrated Easter Sunday together in spirit even though separated by necessity at the moment. What is the great message of Easter? To coin, or rather, revise, a phrase first used by Tony Campolo a long time ago, sure things looked bad on Friday, but wait, Sunday’s coming. Well, Sunday did come and aren’t we glad that it did?
Why do you ask is this so important? Because the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the event that is the guarantee for us that as bad as things may look out there in the world right now, God will triumph over whatever circumstances that we find ourselves in, whether they be sickness, financial, employment troubles, no matter what our current problems, we know that our hope is in a God who is faithful to his word and he delivers on his promises.
Christian hope is not like the world thinks of hope. A sort of a “wishing and hoping and begging and praying” kind of hope. This is a wishy-washy sentimental sort of hope best left on greeting cards and popular love songs. Christian hope is a powerful force that when you unleash it will build your faith until you see what you have so fervently prayed for become a reality. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
“11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
The writer claims that creation itself, the whole universe, is the product of faith speaking out. The basis for this extravagant claim is laid out in fine details for ten whole chapters but it is in verse 3 of chapter one that we read that it is all based on the resurrection
“3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, … “
Friends, our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus completing the task prepared for Him before the creation of the world. That’s right, before the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The plan of salvation and restoration was in place from the beginning and He saw it through to the end. That is the basis for our hope. He is faithful and He will do it.
We conclude this devotional with a word from A.W. Tozer:- “Brethren, we have been born of God and our Christian hope is a valid hope! No emptiness, no vanity, no dreams that cannot come true. Your expectation should rise and you should challenge God and begin to dream high dreams of faith and spiritual attainment and expect God to meet them. You cannot out-hope God and you cannot out-expect God. Remember that all of your hopes are finite, but all of God’s ability is infinite!”[2]
Amen.
[1] Oliver Goldsmith, Poet, Playwrite, Physician.
[2] Tozer on the Almighty God: A 366-Day Devotional (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2004).