A LIVING HOPE
A man in Pittsburg was strapped for cash, and came up with a brilliant idea. He went into a store and attempted to pass off a counterfeit bill. Not for a mere hundred dollars—this dude actually tried to convince a clerk he needed change for a one million-dollar bill! As you might guess, he encountered some challenges. It probably didn’t occur to him that he could attract some unwanted attention. Or that clerks don’t keep a million bucks in change in their till. Or—and here’s the clincher—there is no such thing as a $1,000,000 bill! When the clerk refused, he lost his temper, the police were called, and…you can figure out the rest. (Source: Galen Dalrymple, DayBreaks, 08/10/2011).
This crook doesn’t exactly qualify as a “criminal genius” does he? Lex Luthor has nothing to fear. His hopes must have been soaring as he walked into the store. But one “nay” from the clerk, plunged his hopes into the Mariana Trench. That’s how tenuous false hopes can be.
What a contrast with God’s promise in 1 Peter 1:3. He “has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This guy had hope—but not the living hope Jesus offers. It was deader than a rock in the Sahara. The counterfeiter placed his hope in the wrong thing.
We’ve all been there. We put our hope in a get-rich-quick scheme. Or the promise of a job promotion. Or an internet gimmick. So why is our hope in Jesus is any different? Those simple words, “the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” That changes everything. Jesus conquered death, giving us the assurance of living forever. Verse four states that we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade…kept in heaven for you.” That’s where our living hope lies.
As Linda and I battle with her treatment, we embrace this living hope. I know that God is going to heal her. I just don’t know how or when. Will it be on earth—or will she experience the ultimate healing in heaven? In the end, our hope isn’t in medicine or doctors. It’s in God’s promises. What a comfort to know we’ll be together in eternity… and nothing is greater than that hope! Placing our hope in anything else only leads to disappointment—like trying to pass off a million-dollar bill.
UPDATE ON LINDA: Linda continues to have good days and bad days. She is on a constant teeter-totter of improvement and detoxing, while staying on her program. We strive to keep our eyes on the Lord and his purposes for us. We draw strength from all of your prayers.
Principle: We have a living hope because of the resurrection of Jesus.
Ponder:
Other than Jesus, what earthly things are you tempted to place your hope in?
What helps you to focus more on the living hope of Jesus?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 1 Peter 1:1-9.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise you that you rose from the dead and have given me a living hope. Help me to look beyond my external circumstances to the hope you offer, which is so much greater than anything I encounter in this life.