Over and over again, we lose sleep thinking about how we'll meet a certain deadline. Or, we are consumed by fear or dread of losing a loved one. We spend multiple agonizing moments worrying about how we would provide for our families or stress over making a critical decision. Insert your own scenario here. Anxiety, fear, and depression can cripple us from taking even the basic or simplest of steps. No one is immune. We all have things that consume us and rob us of our joy. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8). In order to do that, I would argue that one of his first steps would be to steal our hope. If we have no hope, we have no purpose. If we have no purpose, we have no direction. If we have no direction, why would we follow a Savior?
In this present world, it's entirely too easy to lose hope. Why? It's because our focus tends to be on our present situation. We forget that this is not our permanent home. This pain is temporary. Peter reminds us:
"There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while." 1 Peter 1:6 NLT.
I suspect that Peter begins his letter with this reminder because he understood our need for hope. Pain is not a new occurrence, especially to Peter. He knew that we needed hope in order for us to face what lies ahead. He urges us to persevere; this pain won't last but a short while. Our permanent residence awaits us.
Hope - it's the name of our church. Hope in what? Hope in salvation, renewal, growth? Yes to all of these. We also need hope to know our future eternal place. Heaven is our future if we place our trust in Him and repent of our sins. Recently, I read about Joni Eareckson Tada. Wikipedia being my trusty guide and a reliable source, I decided to learn more about this woman. I encourage you to also visit her own website and read her story. She is a Christian writer/artist who was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident in 1967. As I prayed about this article within the context of her story, I found her to be an example of someone who affirmed my own hope and encouraged me when I felt overwhelmed recently. It strengthened me to read about her and how she reacted when she was in a valley. One might argue that this is not your typical person. One can say that she is more driven than the average person or that she has more ambition or is better gifted. In my opinion, I believe it starts with her focus. Her focus is on her eternal home - heaven. This is not escapism. Heaven should motivate us and encourages us that nothing in this world can prevent us from having this type of hope. What is heaven like? How would Joni describe it? She said, "I've never succeeded in painting a picture of heaven. People have asked me why, and I haven't come up with a good answer, except to say that heaven defies the blank canvas of the artist." She describes Earth's most glorious spot as "only a dim reflection, a preliminary rendering of the glory that will one day be revealed." Can you imagine such beauty? To the ordinary person, heaven can't even be put into words.
How is heaven described in Scripture? Here are a couple of verses quickly found in Revelation:
[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, [4] and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:1-4 NASB
Again, in Revelation:
[1] Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, [2] in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3] There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; [4] they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. [5] And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5 NASB
I urge you to seek your own verses. This is our motivation and destination. We all have pain and face discouragement on a daily basis. The question is – how do we deal with them, knowing that this is only temporary. Joni didn't rely on her own abilities because they were taken from her. She relied on His strength. Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. He richly blessed her. He'll do the same for us according to our own spiritual gifts and His grace. He doesn't need us to be superheroes for His kingdom. Trust and repent. Hope in Him. He'll take it from there.
In His name
Sherif Mikhael (Elder - HOPE Church, Raleigh)
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