I am HOPING to leave for Asia soon...
Specifically China, Thailand, Japan and the South Pacific- Australia.
One thing that I have heard over and over again in relation to Asia, is that there is a sense of HOPELESSNESS
.
A desire for more.. an understanding that there is a spiritual realm, and some sort of a higher power.. but an honest lack of knowledge as far as what that might be.
These people have been through A LOT. They are extremely hard workers. With hospitable hearts and an honorable respect for elders and those in authority.
In 2004 we turned on our televisions to find out that Thailand had been hit with a tsunami that left the country in shambles. Thankfully, from what I've heard, Thailand is recovering well.
More recently, three quarters of the state of Queensland in Australia was declared a disaster zone due to flooding, and of course, Japan has been devastated with both earthquakes and tsunamis resulting in one of the largest national disasters in the past century.
HOPE. We all need hope in these situations. We all need HOPE in everyday life. I know I do.
More recently, I have been asking myself.. and God.. what is HOPE?
Through studying the word of God, I have determined that consistently the FULLNESS of HOPE..
is JESUS.
While yes, hope can be a feeling... or a sense of excitement or expectation in regards to a desire...
in and of itself...this feeling of hope is not secure.
It consistently waivers.. it is unstable. If that was not the case, then why as humans is it that we can so easily get our "hopes up" and then when things don't happen the way we hoped, we can get "let down". There is no stability there. Hope only seems to work sometimes in that case.. and then we are afraid to hope again.. thus becoming.. "hopeless". I don't know if you've ever experienced this.. maybe it's just me.
HOPE is only FULL if it is in JESUS. If it is anchored in the God who is unchangeable. Always secure. Always the same.
Consistent and trustworthy.
If it fastened in Jesus. In what Jesus did for EVERYONE when He gave his life.. in our place. For our sins and mistakes.. for our shame and guilt.. when we deserved death.. eternal death...
He died once.. and for ALL... for ALL of our sins, ALL our shame.. for every person... No exceptions...and gave us eternal LIFE.
And rose to life again.. amazing..
That is precisely why the word of God says that our HOPE is in JESUS.
"...the Lord Jesus Christ, our HOPE." 1 Timothy 1:1
and "Christ in you.. is the HOPE of glory". Colossians 1:27
Specifically China, Thailand, Japan and the South Pacific- Australia.
One thing that I have heard over and over again in relation to Asia, is that there is a sense of HOPELESSNESS.
A desire for more.. an understanding that there is a spiritual realm, and some sort of a higher power.. but an honest lack of knowledge as far as what that might be.
These people have been through A LOT. They are extremely hard workers. With hospitable hearts and an honorable respect for elders and those in authority.
In 2004 we turned on our televisions to find out that Thailand had been hit with a tsunami that left the country in shambles. Thankfully, from what I've heard, Thailand is recovering well.
More recently, three quarters of the state of Queensland in Australia was declared a disaster zone due to flooding, and of course, Japan has been devastated with both earthquakes and tsunamis resulting in one of the largest national disasters in the past century.
HOPE. We all need hope in these situations. We all need HOPE in everyday life. I know I do.
More recently, I have been asking myself.. and God.. what is HOPE?
Through studying the word of God, I have determined that consistently the FULLNESS of HOPE..
is JESUS.
While yes, hope can be a feeling... or a sense of excitement or expectation in regards to a desire...
in and of itself...this feeling of hope is not secure.
It consistently waivers.. it is unstable. If that was not the case, then why as humans is it that we can so easily get our "hopes up" and then when things don't happen the way we hoped, we can get "let down". There is no stability there. Hope only seems to work sometimes in that case.. and then we are afraid to hope again.. thus becoming.. "hopeless". I don't know if you've ever experienced this.. maybe it's just me.HOPE is only FULL if it is in JESUS. If it is anchored in the God who is unchangeable. Always secure. Always the same.
Consistent and trustworthy.
If it fastened in Jesus. In what Jesus did for EVERYONE when He gave his life.. in our place. For our sins and mistakes.. for our shame and guilt.. when we deserved death.. eternal death...
He died once.. and for ALL... for ALL of our sins, ALL our shame.. for every person... No exceptions...and gave us eternal LIFE.
And rose to life again.. amazing..
That is precisely why the word of God says that our HOPE is in JESUS.
"...the Lord Jesus Christ, our HOPE." 1 Timothy 1:1
and "Christ in you.. is the HOPE of glory". Colossians 1:27
