Hopeful or Hopeless?

Scott-Smith · #1 16th June 2012, 06:15 PM

The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
—Proverbs 10:28

Everyone hopes in something. Some hope in themselves. Like Maria in The Sound of Music, they have "confidence in confidence." But that is not going to sustain them.

Others put their hope in technology. Still others put their hope in politicians.

But I have a tried and tested place where you can put your hope. Put it in God. He never will let you down. That is true because the Bible says it is true, but I also know it is true from a personal standpoint, because I have put it to the test. God has been there for me, and he will be there for you. No matter what you face in life, He will walk with you through it. As the psalmist said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4).

You are either hopeful or hopeless. The Bible says, "The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish" (Proverbs 10:28). So hope in God.

Is that where your hope is? Maybe you are facing a crisis right now. Maybe you have just heard the worst news imaginable. Maybe you are going through troubles in your marriage . . . troubles at work . . . troubles with your family . . . health troubles . . . financial troubles. The list goes on. Maybe you're in anguish or anxiety right now, and you're wondering what to do.

Here is what you do: You call out to God. And here is the great hope that every Christian has. No matter what happens in life, we have the guaranteed assurance that when we die, we will go to heaven. Now, that is called a win-win situation.

I'd like to share with you a letter I received from a father who was without hope, but who called out to God and found the hope he was looking for:

Dear Pastor Laurie,

Several years ago, I was blessed to be introduced to your ministry after listening to your broadcast on my local radio station on the drive in to work. To say the least, you were a voice in my wilderness, since my introduction to your ministry was on the heels of a devastating time in my life. So much was going wrong and life was nothing more than a proverbial plunge downward towards an elusive rock bottom. And in the midst of my family's tribulation, my wife and I reached our wits' end concerning what to do with our son who was battling the stronghold of an opiate addiction. Read More. . .blog.greglaurie.com/?p=5946