[RE]FOCUS Day 56
Week 8: Returning
Day 7: The Hope
By Pastor Chris Troxel
READ:
2 Corinthians 1:10 – He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him, we have set our hope that he will deliver us again…
The Hope of [RE]FOCUS
I hope. I hope I catch a break. I hope things get back to normal. I hope I won’t fail my test. Sometimes hope is what we mean when we wish. Wishes are nice, but that’s not the kind of hope Paul meant when he wrote the words in the verse above.
The Hope is Jesus at work in His world, His church, His people – Jesus at work in you. It is a sure thing. The hope is that Jesus will return, and the Holy Spirit will nurture you in that hope until that day. It would be easy to confuse the source of our hope. It could sound like when we say “Jesus at work in you” that we place our hope in you. [RE]FOCUS happens when the Spirit empowers us to see that the focus, the hope is always in Jesus.
This is no mere wish. This is not a whim of children or starry-eyed adults wrapped up in a passing fancy. This Hope is the faith of the very young and very old. This Hope anchors the lonely or wounded person and the struggling parent. This Hope is etched in every ancient word passed on in scripture to point people to its very Author. Jesus, the author and perfector, is faithful in fulfilling every word that points to him. He came. He lived. He died. He rose. He ascended. He will return. In this hope we confess with confidence: CHRIST IS RISEN! CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN!!
PRAY:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank you for the work You do to daily refocus us on You. Keep stirring, moving, comforting, healing, forming, forgiving until You return. Give us faith to believe and follow. Amen.
LIVE:
What has brought you good encouragement over the last 56 days? What struggles has God seen you through? What can you make known about what God has done?