BY GREG CRUM
PASTOR, CALVARY TEMPLE
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” I Peter 1:3-5
We are living in the last days, and while these days bring uncertainty for many, for believers, it should bring a new and living hope.
Hope, Biblical hope, is one of the most powerful spiritual forces in God’s Creation. Hope is an integral part of our spiritual walk. Without hope actively working in our lives we would be faithless, and without faith we won’t experience the love of God the way He desires. What’s more, if we don’t experience the love of God in our own lives, we can’t love others that way either. Without hope we are a shell of what God has designed us to be.
Now, I Peter 1 hints at a newness of hope, and that’s what I’d like us to think about for a few moments. If you’re aware of pop culture and movies (even just a little bit), you know that in the late ‘70s a movie was produced that would alter the landscape of the science fiction genre. It was called Star Wars, but would later more completely be named Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope. You’ve heard of it before, right?
Well, if you’re a Star Wars fan and have watched all the various episodes you know the significance of the “New Hope” part of the title. The characters involved in this fictional universe had a hope of prolonged peace and prosperity through a messiah of sorts that was supposed to bring and keep “balance” to their galaxy, but that didn’t happen and they lost that hope. Things didn’t turn out the way they expected; they were left devastated and scrambling for answers. However, in the course of time along came a new hope from the unlikeliest of places.
With all that said, that “new” hope they were looking for was only needed because the “old” hope had become shattered. You don’t need new hope when the old hope is still alive. If there’s a sliver of a chance it could still happen the old way, no new hope is needed, but as we mentioned for the people of that galaxy far, far away, their hope was gone. Have you ever been there? How did you feel?
Proverbs 13:12 states, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” During times in our lives when our hope becomes “deferred,” or what we had hoped for doesn’t come to pass, we tend to feel heartsick, don’t we? Well, if you’ve ever been there, or maybe you’re there right now, you’re not alone. The disciples of Jesus that have gone before us have had their hopes shattered as well!
Remember the run-up to Jesus’ crucifixion? The disciples definitely weren’t hoping for things to turn out the way they did that fateful Passover. No, Jesus’ disciples were sure he was there in Jerusalem to set up an Earthly kingdom in that day. The disciples thought they were “getting in on the ground floor,” that the literal, material Kingdom of God had arrived and they would be rulers along with the Lord Jesus of the Earth. Well, God did do that, and He will continue to do that to His exact specifications someday soon, but not as they had hoped. He didn’t do it the way the disciples thought He would, but in doing it His way, He actually did more! He didn’t make them under-rulers of an Earthly kingdom that day; He made them (and all who would believe in him) kings and queens of a Heavenly Kingdom and sons and daughters of God.
Brothers and sisters, in the moment when our hopes are dashed, our hearts can be filled with grief, but we must remember that with the Lord there is always a new hope growing for those that will trust in him. When all hope looks lost, keep your eyes on the Lord, he has a way of turning total losers into more than conquerors!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.