The Power of Hope

 "I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." Psalm 89:1

    This morning, I made the grievous error of reading the newspaper before exploring my Bible. Grimly flipping the pages of vacant words and inane "news" of scary, six-foot Easter bunnies and plastic eggs that represent their empty philosophy, I was overjoyed to see a photo of a cross with these words emblazoned above: HE HAS RISEN. Finally, some good news!

    Within this column of community news, the author shared her personal testimony of her bout with cancer and her hope in the midst of crisis. As the seriousness of her situation enveloped her, a seed of fear began to grow within her otherwise optimistic heart until she saw that the demands of this disease exceeded her strength. In desperation, the hospital bathroom became her private prayer closet as great sobs wracked her weary body. "I cried out to God to help me and give me peace and hope." she recalled. "I asked Him to speak to my heart and let me know He was there and going to take care of me."*

    You may be wondering how this is "good news." I'll tell you: The Christian does not tread on rose petals down aromatic pathways, free from crisis. Rather, a Christian is often under fire more heavily than unbelievers because Satan wants to conquer that person like adding a scalp to his belt. If you are in a valley where one crisis heaps upon another, do what Satan hates the most: Fight back! Fire off Scriptural missiles and sing praises of worship to God, even if you don't feel like it. True-grit faith isn't based on feelings or circumstances, it's firmly rooted in the promises of our immutable God.

    Back to the prayer closet, the weeping author heard God say, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) Steeled by divine courage, she rose from her knees in the hope of the Lord, secure in the knowledge that, for a believer, it's a win-win situation. Then she went on to "make His faithfulness known," a beacon of hope in a secular periodical. 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

"Hope in the Midst of a Crisis," by Barbara Hamilton, The Lake County Tribune, April 15, 2022