“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:21-24

As God’s children, our hope is in Him who is faithful, merciful, and unchanging. The world views the word hope in the sense of an uncertain wish. Luke 23:8 says of Herod when Pilate sent Jesus to him to be tried, “he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.” Similarly, Felix kept Paul imprisoned because, “he hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him” (Acts 24:26). But these are exceptions to the way the Bible uses the term hope.
The Christian’s hope is far from an uncertain wish. It is a firm expectation of the good God will do coupled with a desire to experience it. Christian hope is based on the love of God. Romans 5:5 says, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” There is confidence in the Christian’s hope.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead gives Christians a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). The Christian is one who has been united with the Lord’s death through baptism and has been raised to walk in newness of life. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5). The resurrection of Jesus from the dead means Christians can have confidence that they will be raised when the Lord returns. It is not just wishing, but “knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:14).
This hope helps us to keep our minds on things above, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). It therefore motivates us to remain pure as children of God so that we will be ready for His coming. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Hope also anchors our souls through the storms of life (Hebrews 6:18-19). Instead of trials dashing our hopes, our confident expectation becomes stronger when we cling to God through it all. “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Romans 8:24-25).
As Christians, we must remember how important it is to keep hope alive among us. God has given us the evidence that should make us confident in the glories in store for us in heaven. It is only when we take our minds off this and focus on the world that hope dies in our hearts.

-Mark Day

“Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32).  A bride on her wedding day would never forget her makeup or her dress.  She is looking in the mirror all day making sure she is perfect for her wedding.  For a bride to go up the aisle and realize she had not changed into her dress would be unthinkable.  Yet, this sort of incredible occurrence happened in the spiritual realm with the nation of Judah that was in spiritual decline during the days of Jeremiah.  God says He had been forgotten.  How could they do such a thing?

God remembered the honeymoon He had with His nation (Jeremiah 2:2-3).  The people followed Him out into the wilderness before they were ever given the blessings of the land they now inhabited.  Much like a young couple that is so much in love that it doesn’t matter if they don’t have money, they have each other, so God’s relationship was with His people.  It seems odd for God to condescend to this imagery of a young couple in love to illustrate His relationship to His people.  It is an image that does not evoke a concept of God’s supreme majesty.  But it does bring to our minds an image of what our sin does to God.  Divorce is such a painful experience.  There are many that have gone through such an experience.  There are many that have been close friends to those who have gone through such turmoil and can only imagine what it is like.  Those who have experienced a spouse being unfaithful to them know what it is like to open themselves up to someone in marriage and make themselves vulnerable only for their spouse to walk out on them.  This is the pain we cause God when we sin.  When we put other efforts, people, or things in His place, whatever it may be, we betray Him who wants to be our one, true love.

None of the replacements we have for God make us complete.  Just as Judah had false gods that could not deliver them, people today try to make themselves complete with things that can never make them complete.  You see God is the ornaments and the attire of the bride (Jeremiah 2:32).  Even though no bride is flawless, somehow every bride is perfect on her wedding day.  Jesus Christ gave Himself for the church, His bride (Ephesians 5:23-25).  He came to earth and died for the church, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26-27). Jesus is God; He was already perfect before the world ever began (John 1:1-3; 17:24).  He did not come to the world because He had any sin or defect (Matthew 3:14-15; John 8:46).  The reason He came to live as a man on earth and die for us was to make us perfect.  Through baptism, “the washing of water,” we come in contact with this cleansing blood that can make us pure white before God (Ephesians 5:26; cf. Revelation 1:5; 7:14).  When we’re baptized we put on Christ Jesus just as bride puts on her dress (Galatians 3:27).  Each day we must continue to put Him on by pursuing Him instead of sin (Romans 13:14). Have you forgotten your dress that makes you complete?  Don’t walk out on Jesus for something else that can never make you complete.

 

-Mark Day