Hope

March 28

Hope springs eternal. - Alexander Pope

Hope does spring eternal—an insightful observation on the part of Alexander Pope. He doesn’t go far enough, however, for the reason it does is because the Lord is faithful. HIS WORD tells us regarding our amazing Father and God, "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God. Thy mercies are renewed every morning," Lamentations 3:22, 23. So we awaken today with the expectation that no matter what we faced yesterday, no matter what we may face today—no matter how good or how challenging; no matter what the people we encounter may extend to us of kindness or of cruelty—we will be steadfast in our hope because our HOPE IS IN JESUS, not in the highs or lows of life and not in the people that populate our space.

Whatever you do today, YOU will be a vessel of light and hope and faith and truth and genuine love that flows from the heart of Christ. YOU will be all the brighter a reflection of the light of the Lord if those around you choose to be enshrouded in the gloom of their own self-righteousness rather than reflections of His light. (See John 1:5). No matter what THEY do, YOU will be the Lord's emissary of hope because you are His and He is yours! You are His light, reflected into the darkness. (See Matthew 5:15 and Mark 4:21.)

If worldly people look at you askance, reflect Jesus' love. If they speak unkindly, respond with Jesus' kindness. If they embrace you warmly, reach out gently as the Lord would—but without being deluded by their charade, for the Word tells us that we must be “wise as serpents, harmless as doves,” Matthew 10:16. We also know that the world, “loves its own,” but hates the people of Christ. (See John 15:19.)

Your hope springs eternal but your hope isn't in people...your hope is in the Lord who made heaven and earth and who made you His own beloved and precious child when you placed your life at the cross and allowed Him to make you new in the cleansing flow of His shed blood. Your hope springs eternal, but your hope isn't in the rise or fall of human friendships or loyalties or in their acceptance or their rejection...your hope is in the finished work of Calvary.

As you reflect real truth, real joy, real love to artificial people, they will have the opportunity within their spirits to accept or reject the Christ who projects His attributes through you, His child. What they do with you is a reflection of what they do with Jesus. Because JESUS is your HOPE, it is new this morning as He is with you this morning. Because JESUS is your HOPE, HOPE springs eternal in you—for every day of time and every eon of eternity, these are HIS gifts to you. HOPE THOU IN THE LORD AND HE SHALL BRING IT TO PASS. (See Psalm 37:1-6.)