“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:24-25 NIV
It’s easy to despair when all you see around you is pain and suffering, injustice and evil, hatred and division, etc. The list can go on and on. There is ample reason why many today feel hopeless. When you’re hopeless, you’re willing to settle for anything that can give you a glimmer of hope, even if that option is not the best option. Something is better than nothing, you reason. In fact, if you really think about it, the problem in our country, the Philippines, is nothing less than hopelessness. Majority have lost hope. Many have given up. There’s nothing to look forward to as far as the future is concerned. Is this how you feel?
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I cannot but have hope because God has made certain promises about the present and also the future. I know it may be hard to believe, but God promises a new and better world someday. But He also promises a better life today. This is what the word of God says. Therefore, I cannot live my life without hope. I cannot make choices based on desperation. I will choose based on hope. I will conduct my present life based on God’s present and future promises. Despair, for me, is not a option. God is and will always be faithful.
If you’re feeling hopeless today, stop focusing on the problems all around you. Focus on God’s precious promises. They are true today and they will be true tomorrow. Look to Him who is faithful and true. Everything else may crumble all around you, but the word of the Lord stands forever! Expect better things from here on and unto eternity. Trust in Jesus! Shalom! (PB)