Hope

November 30, 2006

By Gary Rogers

When hope is gone you no longer anticipate the future. When hope is gone your only joy is a memory. When hope is gone you believe the best part of your life is behind you. When hope is gone you feel no excitement for tomorrow. When hope is gone where you’ve been overshadows where you’re going. When hope is gone yesterday’s regrets often destroy tomorrow’s plans.

It has been said we can live approximately 40 days without food, seven days without water, four minutes without oxygen, but we can’t survive one second without hope.

Hope sees us through the difficult. Hope tells us the best is yet to come. Hope shouts, “There’s a blessing around the corner!” Hope refuses to be depressed. Hope promises a bright, productive, fulfilling, rewarding, love-filled future.

Our God is called the God of hope. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NKJV).

Our salvation revolves around hope. We have not seen God. We have not seen heaven. But without seeing we hope. Our hope gives us strength of commitment. Our hope gives us focus of purpose. Our hope gives us perseverance to keep on going on.

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:24,25).

Gary Rogers is senior pastor of First Assembly of God in Coweta, Okla.