Wednesday, June 22, 2011

True Hope

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

This was the beginning of our universe, our existence, and our purpose. God, our loving creator, created everything for us. Such awesome beauty surrounds us every day. We see it in our families, in the wonders of nature, and in His love for us. He didn't create mindless drones without any purpose but to wait on His every whim. He has given us all the gift of life and a free will to choose for ourselves. None of us could ever dream to repay Him, and the great thing is we don't have to. The only thing God requires from us in return is our love, to serve Him and love each other.

Yet look at us now, how much mankind has forgotten. God has taken a backseat in many peoples lives, and many have cut Him out entirely, or never knew Him to begin with. Today's world is the result. Evil has mankind under siege. Deception is Satan's greatest tool. When we are at our weakest, he whispers in our ears. "Why do we need God?" "Live by your own rules." "Such moral nonsense belongs in an old fashioned world." These words play on our fears and desires, seeking to destroy everything good and just in our lives. It's easy to look at the atrocities throughout the world and lose all hope.

But hope lies in Jesus Christ. Mankind is chained to sin. None of us can live a life without sin. Through the sacrifice made by Jesus, we have a path through the chaos and a light through the darkness. If we lay our problems at His feet through prayer and faith, He will take care of us. This world will NOT take care of us. War is waged by evil men, families struggle through collapsing economies, disease takes our loved ones away from us, and in many cases we can't make sense of it. Jesus would not have died on the cross and his disciples would not have taught in the face of certain persecution and death if there was nothing beyond this life.

Our lives here are grains of sand on a beach compared to eternity in Heaven. This life is only the prelude to a greater life of paradise. If we accept Jesus and surrender our flaws to Him, we can survive anything. Not even the most evil forces in this world can take our faith in the Lord away from us. Ask yourself this honestly, do you know anyone in the world who can save you from anything thrown at you? Someone who will stay by your side during the worst of situations? Someone who loves you unconditionally no matter what happens?

There is no one who can replace or measure up to Jesus Christ and His father, our one true God. That doesn't stop people from trying. The most horrendous acts in the history of mankind have come from corrupt men who resented God and thought they were more qualified to do His job. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life for a reason. Only through Him can we experience these three things. If we deny a third of Jesus, we deny all of Jesus. Once we accept Jesus completely into our lives, we are forever a part of His way, His truth, and His life. That is where true hope lies.