God, the reason for our hope
When was the last time tears streamed down your face, your heart ached, and your thoughts were too jumbled to think clearly? When did you know beyond a doubt that this time, for sure, your situation was hopeless?
How many years did it take for you to return to the reality you’ve known for years? To the part of God’s character that has always brought reassurance, warmth and truth? Maybe it only took a few days (perhaps merely a few hours) for you to discover, again, the God of All Hope in the midst of your despair and doubt.
Whether it takes years or only hours, when we grab hold of our Bible, desperate to find the determination to persevere, we rediscover the hope, strength and understanding we’ve come to rely on. Once again, the God of all hope reminds us that He loves us. Where tears of pain, fear and loss once poured down our face, tears of comfort and peace now flow in their place. The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more we come to know personally, through experience, this God of hope – His warmth, His Truth and His faithfulness.
Thursday, May 1, is the National Day of Prayer. This year’s theme is “He is the God of Hope and the reason for our hope!” based on Romans 15:13 (NASB): “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Most of the time, a verse will stand out while reading my Bible. I write these verses on index cards and look at them throughout the day. Romans 15:13 is my new favorite. I love it when one minute I’m struggling with my faith, then as I spend time thinking and praying a Bible verse, God’s presence unexpectedly shows up.
As Christ-followers, every day we have the opportunity to model Christ and stand firm in the hope we have in Him, even in the midst of devastating trials. As each opportunity presents itself, we can know (and show others) that the God of hope walks alongside us, filling us with His presence and power. Almighty God, the perfect, forgiving, resurrected Lord, offers hope for every aspect of our lives – including (especially) the for-sure-hopeless situations.
Our hope comes alive when we place our faith in the resurrected Christ.
God wants to be involved in every area of our life because we’re important to Him. Let’s live as if we knew, from personal experience, that the God of hope is, indeed, the “reason for our hope!”
Sheryl H. Boldt, a Franklin County resident, is a faith columnist and the author of the blog www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. You can reach her at SherylHBoldt@gmail.com.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.