The Hopeful Journey
The Hopeful Journey
There’s something I’ve noticed about the times I’ve felt hopeless. During those bouts of hopelessness, I lose my ability to see life from a biblical perspective. My soul feels shriveled, my heart caves in to doubt, my faith seems enfeebled, my spirit feels small, and my vision for the future shrinks to nearly nothing.
But when I fix my spiritual eyes on the Blessed Hope, I am able to see life from above! Heaven seems more concrete and real, and I am certain that “faith is being sure of what we hope for” (Heb. 11:1). With God’s hope in my heart, life is no longer small. Life has purpose. Life is an adventure to be lived!
The same thing happened to Jesus’ disciples. For three years, they enjoyed intimate fellowship with Jesus. They marveled at his miracles and were amazed at his teachings. More than a few times, though, he told them that he would have to go to Jerusalem to die—but that on the third day, he would be raised from the dead.
However, right after Jesus was crucified, the disciples quickly lost heart and lost hope. Luke 24 records a conversation on the road to Emmaus between two of the bereaved disciples and a stranger. They tell this man (who is really Jesus) all about their Lord, and in verse 21 they lament “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” [italics mine].
How quickly the disciples lost their hope! They had forgotten all about Jesus’ promises and eternal plan to be their Savior from sin. But then the stranger revealed himself. It was their Savior! “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Suddenly, their hope was restored. All because Jesus was present, pointing them to promises in Scripture.
Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, your degree of hope has a direct connection to God’s Word. The more time you spend reading and studying the Bible, the stronger your hope will be.
Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word” [italics mine]. Elsewhere it says, “Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws” (Ps. 119:43).