“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (). 

Rom. 15:13 KJV

With all the bad things happening in our nation and our world, it is easy to become disheartened and discouraged.   For those who are parents and grandparents, it is easy to become anxious and even fearful over the future of our loved ones. In desperation, we look for someone who can offer us hope.  In the search for hope, we often look to a political candidate or to a political party to give us that hope.  But in reality, genuine hope cannot be found in them.   Such hope is temporary and fleeting. It is not lasting. 

Real and lasting hope can only be found in The God of Hope as revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ!   Jesus came into our dark world and revealed the glory of God, the love of God, and the power of God!   He came to give us hope!  He gives hope to all who put their trust in Him.   It is a sure and certain hope!   That hope is for the present.   And that hope is for the future.

For the present, we have the confident and sure promise that no matter what happens Jesus is with us!   He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us! (Heb. 13:5).  He will guide us when we don’t know what to do.  He will strengthen us when we are weak.  He will provide for us in the face of every need.  He will comfort us in the midst of sorrow and loss.  And He assures us that there is hope for the future.   (Rom. 8:31).

For the future, we have the assurance that Jesus has conquered death, hell, and the grave.  Our every enemy has been soundly defeated once and for all!  His mighty resurrection has demonstrated that He is Lord of all!    And in the future, we have the sure and certain promise that our eternity is real and secure in Him!   He has assured us that nothing can separate us from Him!  Not even death!  (Rom.8: 35-39).  Look to Him.  Trust in Him.  Rest in Him.  He is The God of Hope!  We have nothing to fear! 

Rev. James W. Black

“I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NKJV

 It is difficult to see in the dark.  It is hard to recognize what things are really like in the dark.  The size and shape of things are distorted and hidden by the darkness.  It is difficult to determine exactly where we are in the dark.  It is hard to know the right way to go in the dark.  In the dark everything real is hidden from view.  In the dark, it is easy to become disoriented and confused.  To navigate and function in the dark we must have light.

From the moment that  sin entered our world,  it has been shrouded in darkness. (Gen.3).  Our world is plagued by darkness.  And it is growing darker.  But when Jesus made His entrance into our world,  His Light illuminated the darkness.  Through the Light of His Person and the illumination of His Word,  for the very first time, men were able to see through the darkness!   Jesus is indeed The Light of the World.  His Light has overcome the darkness. That Light still shines today!  It will shine throughout eternity!  (Rev. 21:23).  It will never be extinguished! (John 1: 4-5).

Because of His Light, we can now see what was hidden before.  His Light enables us to know who we really are!   His Light enables us to know where we are.  And His Light enables us to see and know where we are going.  His light enables us to see and to know what is real and what is true.  And His Light enables us to know what is not.

Because He is the Light,   we are now the children of Light! (1 John 1: 5-7).  His Light illuminates our lives and illuminates our path.  Because He is the Light, we do not have to fear the darkness.   All we have to do is to follow Him and we will be able to see everything clearly. 

James W. Black