Hope in God

Dear Saints, hope is a great encourager. We hope in or about many things. We hope our children turn out. We hope our boss notices our hard work. We hope our church meets our needs. We hope that God delivers us in times of trouble. Often, what we hoped for does not come to pass. What we thought was God’s will was only our own and we are crushed and disappointed.

What shall we do? We shall do like the Psalmist. We shall do like Job. We shall do like Jesus in the Garden. We shall put our hope in God. We shall appeal to our Father. He is the only safe place. We do not know the future. We hardly know the present. But we do know that Our Father loves us. We do know that He sent His Son for us. We do know that He grants forgiveness of sins, peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost. Is your soul cast down? Hope in God.

Glad for Light

Dastardly deeds are done in the dark. Not always, but usually. Why? Because such deeds cannot stand the light. The light exposes. So, most crime happens at night under the cover of darkness.

         Sins often fall in this category as well. Of course, you can sin in the daytime but many sins are more easily done at night.

         Christians ought to be glad for the light. The light exposes reality. It chases away the shadows. It takes away the excuses. It leaves you exposed before the all-seeing eye of the One True Holy God. The One who spoke light into existence. The One who is light and in Whom there is no darkness at all. Being in His presence, with that much light can be unnerving. In a sense, too much exposure. Do we shrink from such a light or embrace Him?

         Thanks be to God for the gospel, the joy of forgiveness, the desire to be made new, renewed, restored, refreshed, revived, regenerated. In Christ Jesus, who is the light of the world, who takes away our sins, we are glad for the light. We desire to be exposed because we know that God is the hope of our salvation. We know that in Jesus, being exposed by the light is the means that God uses to bring us to confession, repentance and forgiveness. So, be glad for God’s light.

Praise

Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name. We praise You for raising our Lord Jesus from the dead. He is highly exalted at Your right hand. From His throne of power, He will rule Heaven and Earth until all His enemies are subdued beneath His feet. He does this through the Holy Spirit empowered Church. We thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus sent to us on Pentecost, and Who will dwell with us always, even to the end of the world. We glorify You, Father, for Jesus’s sake. Amen.