Grounded Hope – April 26, 2023

[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24: 25-27

Grounded Hope

Hope is only as good as the foundation on which it stands. I can hope all I want that the air will hold me up when I jump off the top of a ladder. But since the foundation on which that hope stands is, well, as thin as air, that hope will fail me. On the other hand, when I hope that the concrete sidewalk that I’m walking on will support me, I can be confident that I won’t be disappointed. The foundation on which that hope is built is as strong as concrete.

On the first Easter evening, two of Jesus’ disciples were traveling to a town called Emmaus. They were sad because Jesus had been killed. Suddenly, the risen Jesus joined them. But they did not recognize him. Jesus used the opportunity to explain to them that what had happened to him was precisely what God had predicted through the Old Testament prophets. He wanted them to know that their hope in Jesus rested on the solid foundation of God’s Word.

The hope that God has given us is built on that same solid foundation. When we trust that Jesus died and rose to pay for all our sins, we are not walking on air. We are walking on something far stronger than concrete. We are walking on God’s Word and his promises that cannot be broken.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me a solid hope that is grounded in your Word. Amen.