How many times have you said, “I hope…”? As a child, you may have hoped that Santa would bring you a Baby Alive or an Easy Bake Oven. As a teen you may have hoped that a boy would ask you to the dance or that you got the part in the school play. Hope is part of us. Hope is crucial for it carries us through uncertainty, keeping us looking forward instead of being overwhelmed with the present. The dictionary defines hope as, “to expect with confidence, a feeling of trust, or to cherish a desire with anticipation.” Hope is so important to our ability to walk down the road of uncertainty in this life. It keeps our eyes focused on what is ahead, our head up, instead of walking with heads down and our hearts heavy. Yesterday when I took the trash to the curb, the wind was cold and heavy! It forced me to keep my head down, only looking at my feet, as I walked back up the drive. Hope is like a shield-protecting us from the onslaught—allowing us the strength and protection to walk with our heads held up as we trudge through this life’s journey.

In Romans 5, Paul speaks to the church about hope. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoicein hope of the glory of God.Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” The Bible doesn’t promise us a life of ease, where no pain or heartache will touch us. On the contrary, the Bible tells us we are told to put our hope in God when we are facing trials and persecution. We are told to continue to look forward…not become trapped in the mire of pain and depression.

The famous song, Joy to the World, was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts. It is based on the Psalm 98. It isn’t really a Christmas song but instead a song celebrating our redemption over sin. It’s really an Easter song. It’s a song of hope! For no matter our circumstances today, we have the hope of Christ, the truth that He is returning, and we will one day be with Him! He is King over heaven and earth, and we can rejoice in that! We can anticipate His return! We can place our trust in His return! We can have confidence in His return!

Knowing that Jesus is King and that we are His children, knowing that we are now at peace with God, knowing that we have forgiveness that can never be taken away…why else wouldn’t we have hope? And if you are at this moment, caught in the mire of pain, look up to Him because He is there, ready to pour out His Spirit to you. When suffering overwhelms, God will send more of Himself to hold you up—to keep you from being conquered by your circumstances. His empowering grace will fill you and carry you through—just lean into Him and let Him carry that burden! 1 Thessalonians 1:3, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Paul isn’t writing to the church at Ephesus to tell them if they study and continue to grow in their faith, God will send them new power. He is telling them that the power has already been given to them. And the Spirit, that is bestowed upon every believer, is available NOW…we don’t have to wait for it. It’s not something we achieve when we reach a certain level of righteousness, as you would receive a reward at the end of a video game. You don’t have to level up to tap into the Spirits power, you already have it! And that power, living inside you, present and alive—will carry you through each day.

The song says, “Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Jesus is our hope. His return is what keeps us taking another step into the darkness of this world each day. The power of God’s Spirit flows in us as believers and God will not abandon us in our time of need! We can depend on Him! One of my favorite contemporary artists is Toby Mac. His new song, Promised Land, perfectly captures our feelings in the midst of the trial. But as he sings, hear his heart! Christ is our Promised Land. Christ is our hope!