Audacity to Hope Day

Hope can be dangerous!  It can make or break a person.  Without hope, a person quickly loses their purpose in life, their vision disappears on the horizon of no satisfaction, and their sense of worth and value come to naught.  Someone without hope is in a hell all their own, realizing nothing they do or identify with has any pay-off or return on investment.  Having hope, on the other hand, can drive a person through any storm or hellish set of circumstances.  Hope is knowing against all the evidence at-hand that I, along with my life's vision and set of goals, will eventually reach my destination.  Proverbs 13:12 states, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."  Unfortunately, this isn't a promise that believers in Jesus will receive their hope in this lifetime.  In Hebrews 11:39-40, the writer states, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."  Hope is created with an eternal perspective in mind; however, I must confess this isn't always very comforting.  Often I pray God would allow me to catch a break every once in a while to show He still cares and is attentive to my needs.  Having the faith (hope) that everything will work out sometimes need physical manifestations like signposts to encourage us along the way.  Certainly I'm not demanding signs from God, but I do believe He gives His approving nod at just the right time.  I firmly believe hope and faith are inextricably intertwined.  Whether or not I do receive the fruit of my labor and faith in this lifetime, I must hang on to the Daily Bread and Living Water of Jesus through the Bible.  Keep striving for that ultimate reward of eternal life in Heaven.  Maybe, in the meantime, we will see some of that translate in to blessings during our journey.  Have the audacity to hope against reason, because sometimes it simply won't make sense.