April 4: THERE IS HOPE

I may be wrong but the message I believe most people want to hear is “there is hope”. The psychiatric hospitals are filled with people who have no hope. The prisons are crowded with people who have no hope. War and strife-torn countries are populated with people who have no hope.
The truth of the matter is that most of the people you know are harassed with feelings of hopelessness. Hopeless that the marriage is going to last. Hopeless that the teenagers will ever settle down. Hopeless that the job situation is ever going to improve. On and on, I could go with this stream of thought. How do you explain the escapism of alcohol or recreational drug use? Folks just trying to escape feelings of hopelessness and dread. “Let us eat, drink, and party on; for tomorrow we die” is an expression of that hopelessness.
That’s why Easter is such a bright beacon in a dark world. It’s easy to grasp the Christian message of Easter: THERE IS HOPE! When Jesus came from the grave, a message of hope was released. Regardless of how bad your situation may be or how badly the world has treated you, there is hope. Because of Easter, there is escape from your bad situation so you can live in hope.
Hear 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. (no hopeless situation) God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
I repeat, there is hope! God’s hope for you passes on a road that goes by Mount Calvary where Jesus was crucified for you and passes through the empty grave where Jesus was buried. He was dead. He is alive. There is hope. It is unique to Christianity.

“Because you came out of that grave, Living Lord, I was glad to get
up this morning and will be glad again tomorrow to wake with You. Amen”