Guaranteed Hope

Friday, August 26, 2011
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Colossians 1:27 – To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (NIV)

Periodically, believers are challenged by some sceptic who claims that the Christian hope of life eternal is just "pie in the sky by and by". Today's Scripture does talk about "the hope of glory", and people might think that such hoping just means "feeling fairly confident". But recently, I heard someone on television use the expression "guaranteed hope", and it has stuck in my mind. Guaranteed hope, huh? That is a great combination of words and it makes me think that the term "hope" in Christianity really means "a certainty not yet realized".

Many people these days use wishful thinking, not real hope. They hope that what they are planning happens as they have planned. But Christians put their hope in what we can't see. Our future, even the next moment, is in the hands of God in whom we place our hope. Yes, it's true: hope in God is guaranteed! Now that is really something to think about and pray over.

In what way does Jesus guarantee hope for us when these days everything seems to depend on our planning? In our society, things are guaranteed if we can pay for them. So how is hope paid for, guaranteed? Our parents have high hopes for us and they pay a lot for our education. But who pays for our lives? Jesus Himself does; He paid with His life on the cross for all of us. Our hope for a fuller, happier life is not just wishful thinking; rather it is guaranteed by Him! We know that in Him there is eternal life. Our hope rests on Him. We believe in Jesus. He guarantees our hope that all will work together for good to those who love Him.

Paul tells us about the hope we have in Jesus in today's Scripture verse. He writes about what a great mystery life and death are to many, but God has chosen to make known to us the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you and me — the hope of glory. This is the "glorious riches" that hope brings us: Christ in us! What a glorious truth! As the Spirit of the risen Lord enters our lives, our hope is guaranteed. We will see Jesus our Lord in heaven when we get there some glorious day. This is far more than a wishful hope; our risen Lord is no mystery. We believe in Jesus Christ who guarantees our hope.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the hope that we have in You. Thank You for Jesus, whose Spirit lives in us as we place our hope in Him for today and forever. We no longer walk through this day wondering what is coming next or just wishing for the best. We know that You have our future all planned out for us, and You will have us prepared for anything that comes our way, for we place our hope in You. This, our true hope, is guaranteed through Jesus, and it replaces all our worries with His peace. Therefore in Jesus' name, we pray for all that happens today. Amen.

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About the author:

Iris Ford
(deceased)

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