Having Hope

1 Peter 1:3-4a

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

The finish line of a distance race is often located at the same point as the start line. The course itself, however, is miles of road that cannot be immediately seen. Do you check out a race course before you run it or do you prefer to run without seeing it first? I’ve done both, but I like not running the course ahead of time. I am actually less anxious when I do not know what lies ahead.

Our lives are like the distance race. We know where we are and we know that someday life will be over, but the miles in between are unknown. We can make plans and chart courses but we do not know what lies ahead. There are no guarantees that what we plan will work exactly as we want.

But in the Bible, God tells us there is something we can be sure of: the gift of hope. And I’m not talking about “hope” the way we casually use the word throughout the day (I hope it doesn’t rain today…I hope I make it to work on time…I hope my team wins on Sunday…) Rather, hope is defined in the Bible as a future certainty. It’s not just a wish that something will happen but a solid promise from God.

Peter tells us that the hope God gives is living. And we know that living things are complex: they grow, they respond, they thrive, and they reproduce. Isn’t that amazing to think that our hope does the same? It is not a stagnant, lifeless object. It is the very life of Christ through the Holy Spirit living in us. It guarantees us that we are the heirs to the riches of Heaven. And we can be sure that if God loves us enough to share with us the riches of Heaven, He most certainly will guard, comfort, uphold, and provide for us while we are still here on Earth. It is our true and certain hope.

The problems of this world can cloud out the joy God intends us to have. But when troubles come, we can lean on Him and receive from Him all that we need to endure. Even in times of trial we can “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” because God will never leave us or forsake us.

Let’s go to Him now and ask Him to restore the joy that a living hope brings.

Heavenly Father, You are always with us, even when we feel as though we are alone. You have given us hope that is living. You have promised to share with us every good gift that is Yours. Help us to trust and rejoice in these promises. Help us to share this good news with others and to build each other up during the race. And when we experience trials, please send us encouragement and peace through the hope only You can give. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Forgetting and Remembering

Philippians 3:13b-14

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

What is your favorite running memory? I have so many, it is hard to choose. I have memories of running with my husband, kids, family, and friends. I remember running in Chicago, Dallas, D.C., and California. I remember running on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Fourth of July. I remember running past deer in an Illinois forest preserve and armadillos on a Texas golf course. I remember laughing until I cried, achieving difficult victories, and celebrating at post-race parties. I remember running fast, running hard, and running strong.

But I have some memories that I am not so fond of. I have suffered through difficult workouts, extreme temperatures, and swarms of mid-run mosquitoes and gnats. I have lost keys, gloves, and sunglasses while running, and I have had shin splints, side stitch, and burning lungs. I remember incurring running injuries and forfeiting race entries because of them. I remember missing my goals, wanting to quit, and being defeated. I remember running slow, running sick, and running weak.

In the Bible, the word remember means to keep in mind. Remembering is an incredible gift, for God says He will remember His covenant – His loving promise of salvation – with His people forever. And He commands us to use our memory in a positive way. He wants us to remember His goodness, love, and wondrous works. Paul, the author of Philippians, tells us that he had to make a choice regarding his memory. He said he had to forget what was behind him and instead strain forward to what was ahead, pressing on toward a goal and a prize.

When you are in a race, whether it is a two-mile race or a marathon, have you ever turned around, headed to a previous point on the course, and sat down? No! That would be unthinkable! And yet, how many times do we do that in our non-running lives? Physically, mentally, and/or emotionally, we turn around and head somewhere that is nowhere near our goal. Instead of remembering who God is and all He has done and promises to do in our lives, we focus on something that we recall: something that breeds doubt or mistrust instead of fixing our thoughts on our Lord who is forever good and trustworthy.

What keeps you from forgetting what lies behind? What stops you from reaching toward the goal and living your life with purpose and meaning, according to God’s will, trusting always in the Savior to carry you through? Whatever it is, God is bigger. Let’s go to Him now.

Faithful God, thank you for the gift of memory. Thank you for giving us the ability to recall Your love, Your kindness, and Your faithfulness. Forgive us for keeping in mind anything that keeps us from You. Reach into our lives and cause us to press on toward the goal and the prize. Let our lives reflect Your love and all You have done for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.