Real and Lasting Hope

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, kept in heaven for you.
I Peter 1: 3-4

Each day we hear more news about how bad the economy is. We hear about the stock market falling, companies closing down, and unemployment rising. The topic of conversation everywhere we turn seems to revolve around the economic woes. People are fearful about the future and what is going to happen next. The very things they counted on are crumbling before their eyes.

We need to remember that God is our only true and lasting hope. He is the only One we can count on. Banks may fail and companies may close down, but God will still be the same. Sadly, many Christians also have come to trust in things other than God. I think most of us would be lying if we said we haven't. We have spent years living beyond our means, spending money for things we really didn't need, and buying the latest gadgets. We hold onto our earthly treasures as if we can't live without them. We look a lot like the rest of the world in this regard. We don't even have a clue what it means to do without. I was watching the news the other evening and they interviewed an elderly lady who grew up during the depression. Her words hit me square in the stomach: "People don't know what it's like to be poor today. They have never had to do without. They won't give up their cell phones, cable TV, or internet. They won't give up eating out. They have no idea what it means to be so poor that you have to depend on God to supply your next meal." Ouch! She was right. Very few of us today even have a clue what it means to trust in God to supply our needs. We can sit in our comfortable church pews and say we trust in God, but when our world starts to fall apart around us what do our actions say? Do we hurry up and try to fix things our way or do we trust and wait upon God? Are we willing to live without some of our comfort items during these financially difficult times?

As Christian women, we need to be certain of what we truly hope in. If we lost everything, would God still be enough? Do we have enough faith to trust Him with every area of our life? With the economy crumbling around us, we can share the hope we have in God with those who do not know Him. This is a wonderful time to lead others to the hope that lives in us. We can't do that if we are wringing our hands and stressing out over the future. We must be careful about the message we are sending to those around us. We have to set the example. Our actions will always speak louder than our words.

In these uncertain times, can others see our hope in God? God truly is our hope and we can rest assured that He will never change. If we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, our inheritance is secure. It is not dependent upon the rise or fall of the stock market, or what the economy looks like. We can bank on God's eternal promises. What a wonderful inheritance we have in our Heavenly Father!