"The Gift of Hope"

I had to do some errands the other day and while driving by a local church, I saw these words written on a sign at a local church. It said, "Hope Is Real." I thought about it and certainly agreed with the statement. But as I pondered the simple little phrase, I realized that for many people hope is not real. I believe that is one of the most important gifts we can give to another person, the gift of hope. You see, someone who is hopeless and alone usually cannot help themselves out of their situations. They have a great sense of loss and helplessness. We must come alongside and bring the good news of Jesus Christ and all that He has to offer. The more I thought about that, the more the following verses came to mind:

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10: 10 NIV).

One definition for hope is: To look forward to with confidence or expectation. We must bring the grace of God with all its hope to someone who does not know it is real. When we bring hope, we bring life. It is life changing to finally believe again. It is more than just asking God for something we so badly need; we must expect our miracle. Somewhere in the midst of asking, believing, and expecting God to answer, we will find what we are looking for.

I have felt for a long time that the biggest problem we have in the world today is there are so many people who have lost hope. There seems to be so many hurts, problems, sicknesses, troubles, financial woes, family problems, world issues, political concerns, and scores of others, it seems the world has no hope.

The truth is apart from God, it is an awful, hopeless place. But with God's help, we can make it. I want you to know that whatever situation you find yourself in at this moment, there is hope. You may not be able to see or feel the hope, but it is there for you. Let me help you find that hope again: Come to the “gate”! Once you are within that secure place no one and no thing will be able to steal away your joy and peace, Jesus promises us a life to the full! How about it? Can I come alongside you for a little while and help you see and know that grace? Write me and let’s see if we can get there together!