Since it’s the Easter season, I want to share some thoughts to encourage your heart. Easter is more than a holiday; it is the time when Christians commemorate the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This period holds significant importance in Christianity due to the profound impact of Jesus’ life and death on humanity. One of the many blessings it offers is hope; specifically the hope of spending eternity with God. This is the hope of our salvation. Jesus promised that He would die and rise again, which He fulfilled. He also assured us that He would return for His bride (the church), and we remain confident in that promise. Until then, we cling to hope. Now that the foundation is laid, let’s move on to the thoughts I want to share.

For what hope do the godless have
when God cuts them off
and takes away their life?

Job 27:8 (NLT)

No hope outside Christ

Consider what Ephesians 2:12-13 (NIV) says: “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Jesus’ resurrection not only affirmed to us that there is life after death, it also demonstrated that He is GOD. Since every good thing, along with all power and authority, resides in God, I can confidently say that there is no hope outside of Christ; neither in this life nor in the life to come. I cannot comprehend what ‘good’ a person expects to find apart from goodness Himself.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

Hope and Faith are linked

In the above verse, we learn that faith turns our hopes into a tangible reality. Thus, without faith, we cannot attain the things we hope for. Concerning salvation, the hope of spending eternity with God is accessed solely through faith in Christ Jesus. In our daily lives, we must back our hopes with that same conviction. To hope for a breakthrough without the faith to believe it’s possible is like building a house without a foundation.

“For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future“

JEremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Hope is forward looking

It sounds intuitive, but many of us struggle because we live looking through the rear view mirror. We hope that if we could change the past, things would be better, but that mindset is futile. As mentioned earlier, hope is found in Jesus; when we embrace this hope, our past—filled with sin, failures, shame, and more—is wiped clean. God doesn’t dwell on these things, and neither should we. Hope is about where you are going, not where you’ve been.

But let us who are of the day be sober, 
putting on the breastplate of faith and love,
and as a helmet the hope of salvation

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NKJV)

What to do?

I believe the natural response to learning that you have hope is to be grateful and full of joy. It’s also too good a blessing to keep to ourselves. There should be a desire to share about this newfound status. However, hope requires perseverance. Proverbs 13:12 (NIV) states, “hope deferred makes the heart sick”, but we are reminded of the reason for the delay of Jesus’ second return in 2 Peter 3:8-10 so we have to persevere. On the topic of perseverance, I’d like to encourage you with the story from John 20:1-18. Mary arrived at the tomb and discovered that the stone had been rolled away, prompting her to inform Jesus’ disciples. They came, inspected the site, and then left (verse 10), but Mary chose to wait. According to John’s account, Mary was the first to see the risen Christ, a reward she received for holding on to her hope, just as you will be rewarded if you do the same.

Mary Magdalene found the disciples
and told them,
“I have seen the Lord!”
Then she gave them his message

John 20:18 (NLT)

Final Thought

I’d like to conclude this post with a prayer from Romans 15:13 which states, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.“

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Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on that God is asking you to hold onto in hope today?

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