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Articles
Our Hope and Light
The uncertainty of the future can cause many of us to worry about the unknown. We may lie awake at night pondering about all of the different scenarios and possibilities. In the end, it is too difficult to prepare for something that is both inevitable and unknowable. The anxiety created by the unknown can produce a crippling fear into our everyday lives, but our hearts should not be weighed down by these anxious thoughts. In the darkness of the midnight, the Christian has HOPE and LIGHT that will steady his heart and direct his steps.
In the course of his life, David walked many paths that would have brought him near to death. After his defeat of Goliath, David did not experience the endearment of king Saul, but rather he faced Saul’s pride, jealousy, and murderous plots. David escaped the spear of Saul on multiple occasions. It may have been during one of those moments, when death surrounded him, that David wrote this Psalm –
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:4-6).
David did not allow the “valley of death” to keep him from enjoying the blessings of hope found in the presence of the Lord! The hope of David did not waver or fail him.
We can share in this same hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ! Hope is the confident assurance that God’s promises will be fulfilled (Hebrews 6:17-19). Our hope in God is what gives us peace in the midst of chaos and light in the midst of darkness. This hope is steadfast and sure because it is entirely dependent upon God’s faithfulness!
The first promise of the Bible was in response to man’s failure to keep the perfection God created in the garden (Genesis 3:15). God promised to send a Savior who would crush the head of the serpent, Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise. Jesus was sent by the Father and born of a woman and under the Law (Galatians 4:4). Jesus lived perfectly and went to the cross as the Lamb of God without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:19). Jesus died on the cross paying the ransom for our sins (Matthew 20:28). Jesus was resurrected from the borrowed tomb and triumphed over death once and for all (Hebrews 2:14). All of these things were accomplished to give us hope and light in a world filled with anxiety and darkness.
Hope in Jesus Christ will never disappoint! Hope in Jesus Christ will never change! The hope given to man through the gospel is transformative and renewing. Our hope is what gives us purpose and direction in our new lives which originates in God. We no longer walk as the world, driven by the anxious thoughts of the unknown, but rather our lives are like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. We may encounter trials and tribulations, but these obstacles do not keep us from living in the presence of our God. We may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but we do not fear because our hope keeps us steady and His light guides our steps. Thanks be to God for His provisions and blessings. Thanks be to God for our HOPE and LIGHT!
