I heard recently that the average American gains 1-2 pounds during the Christmas holiday. That means that Americans, as a whole, gain 300 million pounds during the Christmas season. That is a lot of pounds! It is a wonder an earthquake doesn’t happen when we walk or when we go to the gym after the first of the year to exercise those pounds away. 🙂 Tragically, all that eating and all that gaining doesn’t take away the desperation so many feel. In fact, I daresay that many eat and drink and gain because of desperation.
When I was a kid, I admit to looking for presents. Once I understood there was no Santa Claus (really?), and got old enough to figure out that mom and dad hid the gifts, I became one of the Hardy Boys. I snooped. I was sort of like the comic strip of Dennis the Menace where he ran into the living room with a box in his hand saying, “We’d better tell Santa Claus to forget about the train set I asked for. I just found one on the top shelf of dad’s closet.” Finding the presents mom & dad hid sorta took the fun out of it. There was no longer any longing or hope.
Don’t you think it is even more tragic that so many people are trying to live a life with no hope? I remember hearing someone say once, “You can live so many days without food; so many days without water; but only seconds without hope.” (Btw: if you know the correct way to say that I would appreciate you passing it on in the comment section. Thanks)
The people of Israel were living without hope. They had been…for a long time. All throughout the OT we read of the promised Messiah. But for most, it had been a long time since they had given that idea any thought. It was during this hopeless despair that Gabriel appeared to Mary to give her the good news. “You’re pregnant!” How can that be good news to a single woman engaged to a man with whom she had not had sex yet? But she was willing to be used for God’s purpose.
FEAR. STEALS….HOPE. GIVES!
It gives meaning. It give purpose. It give joy. It gives life. My sermon this Sunday will be inviting people to come to the feast and fill up on HOPE. I would appreciate your prayers. Several questions come to mind: do you have a hope-filled or hopeless life? What do you do to give hope to people, not just now, but all year long?
I might say I have an emensly hope filled life. Giving of my self to others and helping those unable to cope during this time of the season. Witnessing my personal testimony and trials to others might allow others to have hope for something better.
Considering I am the perfect example of a luke warm Christian some times, and continue to sin involuntarily, I feel God has given me much grace with out me deserving it.
Now that is real love and hope.
What a tremendous testimony Larry of trying to be available to & used by God however He wants. You are a hope-giver. Thanks for your thoughts.
Your first question makes me wonder another- why do Christians (myself included) sometimes act as if we don’t have hope? Why do we act in the same desperation as those who don’t have Christ’s promise of redemption and future glory? Thanks for getting me thinking on this. I’ll be pondering on what a life full of hope and void of desperation ought to look like.
PS- I started listening to this past Sunday’s sermon but was interrupted. I look forward to getting to hear the rest over the weekend, as what I was able to listen to sounded great!
You raise a good question Stephen with your question. Why don’t we? We live lives of quiet desperation to quote someone. Thanks for a thoughtful comment. Glad you were able to get the sermon. Techgeek does a great job. Hope it “blesses” you. Thanks for the encouragement.
I have heard the quote a few times but don’t know the person who said it.
We should be hope givers. Because We know the true giver of hope. I try and share that hope with others. It might come through encouraging some one or sharing with them the power of Jesus.
First, thanks for commenting dan. Second, I am looking for the correct quote so if you know it please let me know. Author not necessary. 🙂 Third, you are right. We should be hope- givers.
I had a hopeless life filled with fear but putting fear aside has shown me God working and it’s exciting.
On a side note, my son Eli was spending the weekend running around the house trying to find his presents like you did as a kid. He didn’t find them here but did at his mother’s house!
So true jason. God is amazing in what He wants to show us & how he wants to use us. On the other: I feel for Eli since the wonder is gone. 🙂 Reckon he will learn? Thanks for the comment.
I notice that most of the people I run into don’t have hope. I get strange looks because I live a life of hope. I try to pass a little along in lots of different ways.
People don’t understand that’s for sure. Keep living that way Larry. Thanks for visiting.
Saying we have hope but living like we are scared to death. I’m very good at giving the Sunday School answers! But can my hope be seen in my life? Can courage be seen in my life? I’m embarking on some pretty hopeful/faith filled things right now in my life and it’s too big for me. God HAS to be involved. I am asking God to take all of it and move through it all because He is going to get the glory!
So many do that Craig. I will be asking God to give you the strength needed to move ahead, especially with that wedding. 🙂
Fear steals, Hope gives… I like that Bill.
I want hope to be a byproduct of the confidence I have in Christ – the security that His love offers gives me hope.
Thanks Dustin. you are right about the security His love gives. Thanks for the comment.
My loving wife and I have worked with Habitat for Humanity for several years because we see the hope that it brings to the lives of families rebuilding.
We are in the middle of launching a ministry to the hungry in our area. We have been studying what effective ministries in other areas are doing and learning as much as we can. Prayers are appreciated 🙂
I celebrate with you as you invite your Church to fill up on the Hope of Glory.
Merry Christmas my Friend
-Peace
Prayers will definitely be said. Keep me/us posted Allen…please. Thanks for your prayers. Merry Christmas to you also.
If I’m completely honest with you, I would tell you that hope is one of the motivators that keeps me going. Without it, I would have quit on life a long time ago. The other two.. faith and love.
Well put Moe. in reality, I suspect all of us should say that. Thanks. Keep going.
That is a Hal Lindsey quote:-)
Our hope is in a sovereign God. He who began a good work…will finish it. If I had anything to do with it…I’m doomed.
Ike: so right. Grace is it. My hope is in Christ and not in my own works. Thanks.
Hi Bill,
I think that I live a hope-filled life.
I try to give hope to others by giving support, even if the support I give is very minimal.
I help my friend with her ‘hoarding’ problem to organize her apartment. The last few weeks she has been able to clear some stuff out and get rid of it. She has done this on her own. The support she needs is for me to get her the boxes, and be there to help her. We’re planning to do something with all her cookbooks next week.
I help my neighbor by being available to help her with some errands and a ride. I’m not always at home to do this though. I’m working on my legal case.
My neighbors’ back has a slipped disk. Surgery will be sometime in the New Year. I’ve been trying to shovel his walks when I do mine.
It takes just a little bit to bring hope into someone’s life. My neighbor did this for me in the fall. She and her friends helped me rake my leaves. It made a huge difference for me.
You are so right Linda. It takes just a little bit to bring hope into someone’s life. It “requires” an investment of our own life. Thanks and keep giving hope.
Good stuff. Hope is a misunderstood word in our modern culture. Most of us use it in place of “wish” or “wishing.” “I hope I get that job”! Hope in it’s Biblical sense doesn’t mean to hopelessly wish for something, it means confidence and expectation. When we hope in God,it isn’t a wish. It is a understanding that what God promised… He will deliver. I know you know that, but I just wanted to ramble a bit!
I’m praying for God to show up and speak to His people through you this Sunday. God Bless Bill.
I totally agree with you floyd about the misuse and misunderstanding surrounding the word “hope.” Hope in God is not a wish. It is an understanding of His sovereignty. Thanks for your prayers.
I have a hope-filled life because of Jesus. Sometimes, I forget that, but Jesus gives us hope, and that gives me the strength when life does feel hopeless.
Well put Jon. Great perspective.
Hi Bill,
Just some further comments.
I like what floyd says here about hope. I ‘hope’ he continues to comment his opinions. Not all of us know these things and I like to hear instruction from others too.
This either reinforces what I am thinking or gives me food for thought and changes in my thinking.
Ike says,
If I had anything to do with it…I’m doomed.
What we do has to be done through God. Through his name. If we try to do things on our own we will fail. We need to call on His name. God says he will help us if we do.
We don’t have real hope without God being in our lives.
Psalm 44:4 to 8
vs 6 ‘I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
vs 7 ‘but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.’
vs 5 ‘Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.’
God isn’t going to tell us to jackhammer a mountain down if we are babes in Christ. By babes I mean someone who has not learned and excercised themselves in God.
If we are mature God may ask us to jackhammer the mountain down, but we will only accomplish this if God is enabling and helping us. He will make a way.
Maybe God will provide an earthquake and the mountain will fall down 🙂
Floyd did say something really worth giving some thought to. I think you sort of misunderstood what Ike was saying. He was not saying he didn’t do things in God’s power. He was speaking of salvation being because of God’s grace and not on his own merit or works. (Least I think that is what he meant) 🙂 He will agree with you that God gives the power and the victory. Thanks.
Amen pastor.
My apologies to all. I have been gone for a couple of days so I am behind in my response to comments. I had enough time to okay yours to get them posted and that is about it. Lots of driving and busy stuff. Thanks for understanding. 😛
I think hope is something I need to work on more. I can have ultimate hope in eternity, but I struggle in the here and now to manifest that hope on a day to day basis. It’s the type of thing where I may have an intellectual idea of what my hope is. But living it out day to day is something I don’t do as well as I should.