Hope

It is a beautiful early spring day. Tomorrow however, the temperature will drop 20 degrees. If this were November I'd be sighing and wish I lived farther south, but in the spring it doesn't affect me the same way. The knowledge that this time of year we will begin to have more warm days than cold ones gives me hope that winter must give way to spring.
We learn to have hope from past experience and trust. Past experience being the constant, as long as that remains the same we dare hope for the same result. Sometimes our hope rests on a person, our history in relationship with them may encourage hope for a certain out come because we've learned we can trust them.

Hope is tricky business, we live in a fallen world with a broken system and things we set our hope on can potentially let us down. Something new gets added to the mix and we end up with a different end. People disappoint us and to be fair, we have let others down who hoped in us too. Misplaced hope can be a painful experience.

When we are crushed by broken hope or see the brokenness our actions have caused in others we have a place of encouragement. Thank goodness God is not bound to the falseness of our broken system! It is impossible for God to lie, we who have accepted the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for our heart, a place of security. (Hebrews 6:18,19)

An anchor is a vivid picture of security. It holds the ship in a safe place though a fierce storm may threaten to throw it against the rocks. Hope, which is compared to an anchor, is offered through life in Jesus Christ. The God of hope offers to fill us as we trust in Him. (Romans 15:13) This not a limited offer, but can be accessed as many times as needed!

When life is disappointing, uncertain and downright dangerous, it is comforting to know that there is a safe place for our heart. That hope is available through faith. (Hebrews 11)