November 4, 2020
…but God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. – Psalm 9:18
Triumph, victory, conquest, these are often the words we use when we are on top. These words mean a great deal as nations conquer other nations, especially within a biblical context, and of course the great victory that Christians profess, is the victory over death itself in the resurrection of Jesus our Lord.
Words of victory in our modern world, and everyday lives sometimes mean something different. Whether it is winning the latest sport contest, seeing a cause take root, or winning an argument, we use the same since of triumph over the other whom we oppose. There are winners and there are losers, and, for whatever reason, we love to let the losers know who the winner is. But what about hope? Especially the hope that keeps us motivated when we’re up, and gives us life when we’re down.
If there were never losers, or contests, or difficulties, or victories would there still be hope?
I say, yes, hope will always be present.
Hope is expectation or desire for something to happen. No matter if one is on the bottom or the top, the winner or the loser, even if everyone was on the same level, there will always be the hope for something better.
This is what I see as the part of the purpose of Christ, to give a great hope to the nations of a better way. Theologian Dallas Willard said “the gospel is less about how to get into the kingdom of heaven after you die, and more about how to live in the kingdom of heaven before you die.” In no way was Willard saying that eternity isn’t important, but we must realize that while we are here, it is important to share the kingdom of heaven, found in the hope, peace, and love of God as we know it in Jesus Christ.
Hope is the greatest thing, because it helps us to realize that which matters is that which is both now and eternal. When we truly have the hope of the resurrection in us, we see the world and it’s lack of infiniteness, and perhaps then turn our attention to things more infinite.
In the ninth Psalm there had been a great conquest over the enemies of Israel, but instead of taking the glory for the armies of Israel, glory was given to the Lord Almighty and Eternal, whose reign never ends. In the midst of this, the psalmist is saying to us, let God, who is eternal, always hear the cries of those who hope for something better, because hope will lead us to be something better.
So, yes, let us hope is something better. Let us build something better. Let our worship and praise of God be a foretaste of the better world we hope to see as “the things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of God’s glory and grace.”
Grace & Peace,
Sam