HOPE

 
 
August 25, 2016                                                HOPE
1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
Those who have placed their hope in this world and in mankind certainly must feel great remorse as they look at the discord and conflict taking place around the world. For many years we have heard it proclaimed that man was making great strides in bringing peace and harmony to the world and that life would be becoming better and better for everyone. Many believed that the United Nations would be the great unifier of mankind but that has not been far from the case. We live in a world where sin of every sort abounds, where evil is called good and good evil, where absolutes and morality are considered old-fashion, and where we see the degradation of society. However, there is reason for hope for the believer. The hope that is available to the believer is not based on the world around us or the efforts of man to make the world a better place to live, but is based on the plans and purposes of God as revealed in His word. We may not understand why God allows certain things to happen, but our hope rest in the fact that He is sovereign and that He is moving toward the fulfilling of His purposes.  God often leaves man to his own schemes and plans in order to make known the fact that when man tries to live independent of God, failure and disaster are the results. The discord, the strife, and the human suffering in the word today comes as a result of mankind living with no regard for God, so it is erroneous to say that God causes evil to happen.  In spite of what we see currently going on in the world, the fact is that God is establishing His kingdom and nothing can hinder what He is doing.  Indeed, those who have their hope in God, the creator and ruler of the universe, will have a hope that defies logic and reason in the midst of the strife. Having hope does not mean that we are exempt from the trials brought on by a world who rejects God, but hope does give us the ability not only to endure, but to rejoice as well because we know what the future holds. Let us sanctify, or set apart the Lord God in our hearts so that He alone is our hope, and when others ask why we have hope in such a broken, dark world, we can point them to the source of our hope. Be assured that God is not “fretting” over what is taking place on planet Earth and God has not lost control, but is masterfully moving toward the fulfillment of His purposes, which include the complete redemption and salvation of those who know Him as Savior.
2 Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy