What kind of hope do we have? What is its source? If we just think positively and wish for situations to improve, will that give us the energy and strength to move forward in our lives?
It is very difficult to live by hope today, especially in our country. Political and economic situations continue to deteriorate. Many are looking for an opportunity to emigrate, looking for a better future abroad. But does our hope lie in a better future in a foreign country?
The Bible teaches us that we have been born again to a living hope. Our hope is certain because Jesus rose from the dead in actual fact, and we have risen with him. This is truth. We have risen with Jesus, and therefore we have absolute hope and certainty, and we can trust that God will do what is best for us in the future. This is not just wishing or positive thinking. There is absolutely no doubt that this will happen. It is a living hope.
We have an inheritance that does not fade away or become corrupted; it is kept in heaven for us as our inheritance. It is waiting for us now; Jesus is preparing a place for us (John 14:2). Our hope also lies in the fact that Jesus is guarding us through his power for this inheritance. We are safe in his hands. Salvation is God's work from beginning to end, and it will lead us to our inheritance.
Our living hope gives us the power to stand and rejoice with unspeakable joy, even in the midst of the trials of life, be they personal, political, economic, social, or whatever. This hope helps us see that the pain we go through now is temporary and has a purpose: It is a test of how genuine our faith is. In this hope we wait joyfully for the return of Jesus. If we live in this hope, we will be a blessing and a means of bringing the message of salvation to those around us, because the world will ask us the reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15). The world is searching; it needs this hope.
May God help us to be those who hold on to this hope. May we demonstrate this living hope in our lives and be ready to answer those who ask us about our hope.