Hold on to Hope

Have you ever noticed at Christmas time many people dread the holidays? It's a time when expectations seem to exceed the reality, and cause many to give up hope. What do we hope for?

Doesn’t everyone hope for good to come to them? For some measure of happiness? For someone to love them? To notice them?

Can you be truly healthy or happy without hope? I don’t believe so. Hope keeps us going day after day. Without it we get bogged down in the drudgeries of life. We feel forgotten and alone. We feel nothing to go on for. But wait –remember there is hope! While there is life there is hope.

 God has great hope for you. In the book, Waking the Dead, John Eldredge, writes “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Did you get that? God wants you to live! To prosper, be well and be happy. He is for us and not against us. Many people think that God is out to get them. The extreme opposite is true. Jesus said, “I have come that they (you) might have life and have it to the full”.

God coming down to this earth in the form of a man, Jesus, was to show His endless love, which is what the holiday we call Christmas is all about. And as a Christ follower, we observe and remember what He did everyday, not only at Christmas. God came to give us life to the full in giving us Himself. What hope! Hope for life here and hope for eternal life when we die.

The following story which I heard years ago, on Moody Bible Radio, may help you to better understand what God has done for us. It is a poor example of such a great transaction, but gives us some idea.

On a cold snowy day an old farmer put out bird seed in a protected area near his barn for the birds. He tried everything he could do to lure the birds in the direction of the food and shelter. But nothing availed. They couldn’t understand as he tried to call to them, whistle to them, and even flap his arms as he went toward the barn. “That’s it!” he thought, “if only I could become a bird, I could speak their language and show them the way to life.”

This is just what God did when He came to earth in the form of baby Jesus. He came as a human being (yet He was 100% God) to show us the way to life- to His love. He gave His pure and perfect life for you and for me. We cannot bridge the gap to God on our own. Our only Hope is to accept God’s gift of His Son, Jesus. Then we are to trust Him and live each day in His presence by acknowledging Him and asking Him to be in our life. He left Heaven to come here to show us the way to a life of joy and peace connected with God and each other. But He doesn’t make us or force Himself on us in any way. He lets us choose. This choice is a free gift to us. Will you receive your gifts? Will you choose to accept His gifts of love and abundant life -a life of hope?   

To God it doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, how much you weigh, what is in your bank account, what you have accomplished, who you know, or how many times you have failed. You are His beloved child. He came to give you hope for whatever circumstance you are in, even if you got yourself there. He came to this earth for you.

If you look to God instead of the trials, He will give you new life right now. Looking to Him means trusting Him and His Word to change you and your life. If you have the hope and faith to even consider this - He is already at work in you. Doesn’t that feel good as you consider that? He is real. He will give you amazing strength, wisdom, peace, and joy as you trust Him and put Him first in your life. Remember too, God loves you just as you are, but does not leave you that way. He makes us new inside with new desires -and new hope.

Yet, how can we have hope when we have so much trouble? Life comes with trouble, look at what happened to Jesus. He was the Son of God and was crucified on the cross. In troubles and trials our hope can grow. Trouble shows us what we are made of. Trials teach us and train us to look to God and not to ourselves. Trouble and trial grows us up, and helps us think about more than just ourselves. Everyone is sick or hurting in some way. Put your hope in God, and try trusting Him when trouble comes, because it will come, and you will be armed and prepared!

Many lose hope because they misunderstand God. Contrary to what many believe, God will never let you down. He never has. However, He works differently than we think He should, then we think He doesn’t care. Don’t blame God for the sorrows in life. Someday He will explain it all. Just remember the most important things: He is with you. He cares more than you will ever know.  He will give you His strength to go through whatever comes. He understands you. He loves you no matter what.

Are you filled with hope? Do you really have peace? Are you enjoying your life? Is the way you are living working? Even if you have tried “God” before- Are you willing to try something different and put your hope in Jesus? Quit trying to do it yourself! When you fail, God doesn't love you any less. His grace never runs out. As you keep looking to Jesus a new way of doing life will emerge - you will start to look for the good. Your hope will grow as you learn to believe God’s love for you and your needs. Then will you will reach out to someone else in need? Will you give them the hope you have?  His unconditional love is the best gift- anyone could ever hope for.