Where is Your Hope?

Where do you place your hope? Is it securely ensconced with your money at the local bank? Or, would that be foolish and you are vested in real estate? Is your hope in your good job? Or your ability to find the best bargain? Is your hope is your strong home life? Or your family? Is your hope in the strength of your marriage? Or maybe it's in your independence? Where do you lean? Where do you put your hope?
It's an important question because it defines your life. Where you put your hope is where you will go when things are tough. It's the one thing you feel secure in.
The thing about all of the things that I mentioned above is that they are fallible. They can, and most likely, will fail. Even good marriages struggle. Even the wealthy have problems. Even good families face death and pain. Even strong, independent people can face debilitating diseases.
But there is a maker of heaven and earth. There is One who is above the failings of the common world. If you will put your hope in Him. With Him. Then, health might still fail. Marriage might still be rocky. Family might still face death. But you will not lose hope because your hope will be wrapped up in the One who is eternal. Who knows you and loves you more than any other can. I mean, REALLY knows you. Yep, all those deep dark thoughts? They are like a lighted room to Him. And those really bad habits? He already knows. And He says He loves you anyway. As a matter of fact He says that He loved you so much that He died for you when you didn't know Him or care about Him.
His name is Jesus. He's the best. Don't worry, He's gotten a bad rep from some of His followers, but He's probably nothing like you expect. He's no wimp. Your stuff won't scare Him or put Him off. But, He's no task master either. As a matter of fact He says to come to Him and He will help to carry your burdens and worries. He even says that when it's all too much, He'll just completely carry you.
There's no standard. No daily requirements. It's really not about how much time you spend our how good you are. He doesn't seem to indicate that He keeps track.
He does like it if you choose to help people who are also needy. It is pleasing when you reach out to those without a voice. But it's not a contest.
You can be rich, poor or inbetween. You can be tall or short, light or dark. You can be neat or messy. You can be large or small, young or old. There is not a person on earth whom does not meet His requirements. He loves them all. The same. That kind of evens the playing field, doesn't it?
That's right. The guy on death row and the pastor in front of the church are given the same offer. The offer is "trust me to take your life and give you a new hope." He just asks that you believe what he told the guys He knew when He was living on earth. That He is the son of God. That He can make things right between us and God. He makes the offer to all. For all time. Until the end of time. He makes the offer to you.
Sometimes people make it complicated. It's not. It was just a simple gift of undeniable, irrevocable hope. Ask Him and it's yours. You don't have to go out and do anything special. There's no hell week or initiation ceremony. You ask and you receive. Because He said so.
After that, it's a pleasure to get to know the One who brings such hope. But don't be sucked into the lies that now you HAVE to spend an hour a day or read the Bible through in a year.
Just as every relationship grows, this relationship will grow too. As you learn to trust the One who brings you hope, He will show you what to do. He will lead. He will carry.
You'll probably still be rich or poor or big or small. The what you are is what you were made to be. The how you live it is what He will help you with. If you are an artist, you don't have to become a preacher. If you sell books, you don't have to only sell Bibles. He'll guide you. Just listen.
Where is your hope? Have you lost hope? Maybe it has been in the wrong people and wrong things. Wouldn't it be worth trying the man named Jesus?
blessings,
rhonda