Christ Our Hope

Christ Our Hope

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

It’s been almost two years since my stroke. At the beginning, some of my hope was to recover relatively fully. I was optimistic. I’m a glass half-full kind of girl.

Now here I am in 2017 with significant limitations. Did my hope fail? Well, my hope in my health has, to an extent, failed. I’m not improving much. Perhaps at a snail’s pace.

But in Christ we have a more sure hope, don’t we? Something awaits us that is unshakable, that defies bad circumstances, that cannot be taken away from us. Our hope is that of our salvation, of eternity in the presence of God, and of glorying in a resurrected world with resurrected bodies. That will be a great day.

It is hope such as that—which is actually our only true and lasting hope—that sustains us during hardships. Brad and I regularly read articles from Voice of the Martyrs ministry, stories of believers in countries where persecution of Christians is severe. Today we read the story of a woman from Somalia, Africa. She grew up a Muslim but converted to Christianity, and because of that she was shunned from her family and was threatened many times by people who hated Jesus. Yet she, like so many of these Christians, found joy in life in the midst of severe suffering because of her hope in the life to come.

The suffering of those Christians humbles Brad and me. And the grace the Lord gives them inspires us to keep going.

The Apostle Paul often faced persecution like that. And in Philippians 4:13, talking about very different trials—financial ones—found contentment and power in Christ. He said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Hope gives us strength, but only when hope is set on the right things.

A better day is coming. Soon. THAT is hope.