Friday 6 August 2010

Hope

I've been thinking about hope recently. Simon is in the Philippines, writing a blog about the team's experiences. Time and again they come across situations, poverty, injustice which threaten to break your heart. Catherine's last blog described a situation which many find hope-less - it is too big to deal with and leads to denial or other forms of defeat. Faced with difficulties, others seek to minimise the consequences - we've all got problems, you've just got to pull yourself together and get on with life.

I don't believe these are Godly responses to that which the enemy has done. They concede ground to him, they believe the lie that he shouts: 'I am stronger, God is dead, there is no hope'.

I believe there is hope - for everyone and every circumstance, no matter how humanly 'hopeless'. I believe it because in the darkest hours of easter there is the promise of Sunday morning. I believe it because in the depths of despair there is the cry of a baby....







Extract 22 from 'Mary's Diary'
At last, a moment to write! What a night! From pain and shame and despair to extraordinary joy. It seemed like he would never be born, couldn't be born, him too big, me too small. All that pain, seeming to go on forever, forgetting what normal was like. Just like these last months. More and more rejection, more and more pain - almost losing hope that I could ever have joy again. But here he is, joy to the world, the Lord is here. Jesus is here. God is with us.

Hope and my son were born tonight.


.... what situations are you facing right now that drain hope and leave despair? Illness? Bereavement? Children leaving home? Finances? Mid-life crisis? The past? Can I encourage you to listen with me for the cry of the child who is Emmanuel? There is hope. Believe it, reach out for his hand, let him lead you from despair to joy.

2 comments:

  1. Without hope we have nothing.

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  2. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.(Romans 8:24-25 ESV)
    Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.(Romans 12:12 ESV)
    For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.(Romans 15:4 ESV)

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