People of Hope

As Christians, we are people of hope. Jesus is the reason for our hope. He died for our sins, but he also rose from the dead. He showed us the way to heaven, the way to salvation. As Christians and followers of Christ, hope is a trust and confidence of a future good made possible through God. Those who do not believe are deprived of hope because there can be no hope without God. The two are inseparable. We are grateful for our many blessings here on earth, but we also acknowledge the existence of heaven. This allows us to face challenges and obstacles in our lifetime from a different perspective than do nonbelievers.

I am currently in the middle of a great book; Island of the World. It's a monster of a book, 800+ pages, but it is very rewarding if you allow yourself to take the time to read a good book. The main character is a young boy who is growing up in Croatia during WWII. In one day, he loses all that is near and dear to him. He loses everything and everyone. It makes me think about what I would do in his situation. I imagine it would be very easy to give up on life in a situation like that. It would be easy, but Josip does not give up on life. Despite the tragic situation he is in, he survives. I anxiously wait to read about how this faith-filled boy faces the challenges that await him.

All of us are presented with difficulties and tragedies in our lifetime whether they be big or small. We can look at this as a great burden or we can accept that life will present us with difficulties and that God will take care of us. He never presents us situations that we can not handle. When we place our hope and trust in God we can overcome any obstacle. Those who don't believe in God often live in depression and despair. Let us pray now for those who do not believe in God, who have a pessimistic outlook on life, who have no one to trust and seemingly no place to go. Let us pray that they might find God in their lives and realize the awesome hope and joy He brings in our lives. God is love. God is hope. Let us share our hope and love with those who don't know God's forgiveness and love. In this way we can revive the walking dead; those who are physically alive but spiritually dead. What greater gift can we give than the gift of love? Our love can bring great hope to those who are desperately searching for hope. Our love can heal. God bless!