FOR THE SOUL
A LIVING HOPE BY BECKY BARNETT
There’s a lot of fear in the world today. For many, COVID cracked open the truth of how vulnerable and out of control we actually are. It’s been two years since the pandemic began; but anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are still on the rise. According to the CDC, before COVID, eleven percent of adults in the US reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Currently, forty-two percent of us are battling these intense manifestations of fear. It can feel pretty bleak. So, what is the antidote? In The Hunger Games, the villain, President Snow, makes the statement “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” If there’s something out there stronger than fear, I’d imagine we all want a double portion of it. The Bible has this to say: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3). This is a form of hope with substance. A living hope, based upon the power of someone with the authority to rise from death. Biblical hope is alive. It is a hope that does something in our hearts because it is based firmly on the promises of God. It is something we are invested in, and it changes us. Hebrews 6:19 describes it as “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” Two foundational truths make living hope so secure and encompassing. First is the promise of salvation for all who believe, and second is the sovereignty of God over all things. Scripture, in its entirety, tells us the story of redemption for God’s people. This central theme is what each story, prophecy, and psalm is wrapped around. The whole Bible is about Jesus, and what God has done through Him to save His people for His own glory. Jesus made a way for us to be accepted by God and live in loving relationship with Him, now and forever. This promise fills the pages of our Bibles! What greater hope could we have? When this life comes to an end, if we have trusted Jesus and followed Him, we will enter paradise and be in His perfect presence for all eternity. But, what about daily life in the broken world we now live? This is where the second part of our foundation for
living hope comes in; God’s sovereignty. God’s purposes come to pass and are never thwarted. What God ordains is what will happen. This is good news if you know The Lord! He is in control of every single moment of our lives. We see only a minuscule portion of His great plan, what might look to us like only defeat and darkness is part of something far bigger. While writing this article my Great Uncle Paul passed away and I saw biblical hope in practical action. Uncle Paul was a wonderful man who loved Jesus, and there were few dry eyes in the church on the day of his service. But amidst the tears, there was something powerful— there was immense hope and great joy in the middle of mourning. As Uncle Paul breathed his last breath on this earth, what looked to us like an ending, was a glorious new beginning. In an instant Uncle Paul saw the splendor of The Lord, he met Jesus face to face. He is reunited with believing family and friends who he had not seen in decades. The tears we cry are for us, not for Uncle Paul. We know that Uncle Paul has stepped into an eternity of unspeakable joy alongside The Lord, and one day we will see him again! Life on this earth is not the end of the story. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 we read about putting on “as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Just as helmets protect our brains from physical forces, the hope of salvation protects our minds from spiritual forces. We need to keep in mind the end of the story to avoid being overcome by the storms of life along the way. As we slip into another new year, keep your heart focused on what is coming! Think about Heaven every day, think about the promises of God. Practice walking through life with a living hope and watch as fear is forced to flee. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes…And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:5-8; 10 ESV MKR Magazine February 2022 7
