Easter Hope
/
“May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
“I hope you feel better.” “I hope to see you soon.” “I hope everyone has a good time.” “I hope life settles down for you.” We hope for life to get better, sickness to end, healing to happen, and life to be what we desire. When we define hope, it is usually on our own terms and conditions. We have a desire for a certain thing to happen. It is a wish for a positive outcome. This hope is more of a preference to get what we want and be able to determine or control the end result. But is that really hope?
Easter brings a different meaning to hope. It is a hope that this world is not all there is. A hope that sin, sickness, and death is not in control. Jesus died for our sins. We are forgiven and given grace. We no longer need to hope that we will be forgiven because grace is freely given. We are cleansed from sin because of Jesus’ death on the cross. It is now a fact. It is true. Jesus died for the sins of everyone and that includes you. The hope is in what we cannot see but know is true. We have the hope of eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.
When our loved one dies, we have the hope that they are with Jesus in Heaven. They take their last breath on earth and their next breath is in Heaven. This gives us comfort for all who believe. My brother-in-law, Don, is on this journey home to Heaven. It gives me comfort to know he is looking forward to being with Jesus. I live in the hope and assurance that he will be healed and will live in Heaven with Jesus and all those who have gone before him.
Easter brings hope not just for the future in Heaven but hope for our daily lives. Hope helps me see through the eyes of my heart the things that are not yet visible. That is, hope is not so much about what I can see as believing with my heart that what has been promised will happen. We do not hope for what is obvious or what we actually can see. Easter hope is about trusting that God is with you even when you do not feel or see His presence. It is believing God is with you even in the struggles and sorrows of life. Jesus promised the disciples and us that He would always be with us. He gave His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to be constantly present within us.
In the lowest times of life, when it is difficult to believe life will be tolerable, livable, or healthy, it is when “a hope of a hope” becomes the next step. It is knowing that someday you will have hope and trust, but right now you do not see it nor feel it. It is just holding on to that promise that even when you cannot see the possibility of life being different and you being content, it is clinging to the belief God is still with you in the uncertainty and chaos.
Easter hope also assures that the past is forgiven. You do not need to live in the guilt, shame, sin, and pain of the past. Jesus’ death brought complete forgiveness and closure to the past failures. Easter hope tells you not to keep beating yourself up for what you have done in the past. It is forgiven so live forgiven. You cannot change or alter the past in any way. Release it to God and live in the hope and grace of Easter.
Easter hope also assures that you can live forward into each day. It may not be what you expected or planned, but it is what you have. Hope says you can make the best of each day knowing you are not alone. You can be grateful and focus on the good around you. God is with you in each today. Jesus said, “I am.” “I am with you no matter what has happened or will happen.”
You do not face anything alone. Easter reminds us Jesus is alive. Every fear and anxiety you have is conquered by Easter hope. Jesus is with you in each feeling, fear, emotion, and worry. Trust Him. It sounds so simple, but it is not easy releasing an old habit or pattern of living. All you have is today. You can choose to be miserable without hope and live in fear and worry, or you can choose to live in hope and trust Jesus each step. It does not mean you forget what has happened. It just means you accept what you cannot change, nor did you choose it. But you can choose to find hope in the possibilities of today. Live in this Easter Hope!
My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -
My Books – Living In The Different and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/
