By Michael Risley
A man was watching a Little League baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Twenty to nothing–we’re behind.” “Wow,” said the man, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the boy, “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!”
In the midst of all the difficulties and pains of life, like that young boy, we all need hope. Someone has said, “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only seconds without hope.” The good news is, God is all about HOPE, that is, with Him we can live a life of joyous expectation and anticipation.
One of the great passages on hope in the Bible is found in Colossians 1:27, which simply says, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” God’s plan is for Jesus Christ to live in the hearts of all who believe in Him. Can you imagine anything more wonderful? And when Jesus lives in you, you have the hope of sharing His glory! You see, what makes the gospel so appealing is that it promises present peace and help, but it also promises eternal blessing and glory. When Christ comes to live in a believer, His presence is the secure and solid anchor of the promise of heaven–the hope and joyous expectation of future bliss forever. Imagine: “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4). What a HOPE we have in Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters, let us never let go of the precious hope of heaven we have in Christ! As Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Want more encouragement and inspiration to help you finish well and make each day count? Listen to more from Joanie and Michael Risley on the Meaningful Moments podcast.