Comforting Hope

You will feel secure, because there is hope.  – Job 11:18

The story of Job’s suffering in the Bible is classic. Deep in grief, his entire life in devastation, and his friend says, “God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.” True, but not comforting!   

Today, you may not meet a devastated man like Job, but you will likely encounter many people smiling on the outside but struggling with hopelessness on the inside. For the hopeless, the future is no longer a safe place for their dreams, fear has replaced faith and prayer has given way to anxiety.  

World events are becoming increasingly challenging and it is naturally tempting to feel insecure. However, for the follower of Christ, hope is not based on circumstances but rather rests in the heart of your Savior. You can bring every fear to the feet of Jesus. 

No one has described faithful hope better than the apostle Paul. Some have said he wrote so eloquently because he needed it so desperately! Can you imagine how he felt after being publicly scorned and beaten for his faith only to jump on a ship and discover it was sinking? Yet he says, “We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). In Hebrews 6, you are assured that you have “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf” (Hebrews 6:19).  

Be aware of those in your life struggling to find hope. As you pray, ask for opportunities to offer the good news found in Jesus Christ.