My Hope is in the Lord

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

I read a little devotional about an old beloved Christian hymn. Many today are casting and fishing about the world for hope. The Christian has an “actively alive” and sure hope for eternal life based on the resurrection of Christ from the dead. If He rose, our destiny is certain, for “now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” - 1 Corinthians 15:20.

 A 1945 hymn, “My Hope Is in the Lord,” aptly reminds us of this truth. The lyrics are:

• ·        My hope is in the Lord, who gave Himself for me, and paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.
• ·        No merit of my own His anger to suppress. My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness.
• ·        And now for me He stands before the Father’s throne. He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.  
• ·        His grace has planned it all. ‘Tis mine but to believe and recognize His work of love and Christ receive.
• ·        For me He died; For me He lives, and everlasting life and light He freely gives.

The hymn reminds us of a “big picture” truth—God created all things, mankind included, in perfect, lasting fellowship with Him. He loved us and graciously provided all we could ever want or need, but He informed us that any deviation from His perfect plan was unacceptable and would be punished by spiritual death. We, through Adam, were without sin and had no looming penalty to pay for sin, yet we chose (and continue to choose) rebellion and received His just sentence.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thankfully, He knew that we were totally unable to restore our broken relationship with Him, so He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die as an acceptable sacrifice for us. Christ paid our penalty on Calvary. “Christ died for our sins . . . and rose again”. Thus, God’s grand plan is accomplished and we have a sure hope. 

The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “hope” as: the desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. Hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety. Confidence in a future event; the highest degree of well founded expectation of good; as a hope founded on God's gracious promises; a scriptural sense. A well founded scriptural hope is the source of ineffable happiness. Therefore, my hope is in the Lord.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Blessings.