“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints-- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.”
When you’re having a bad day, don't forget the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ now and forever. Hope keeps the Christian going. There is victory over death, over disease, over tragedy, tribulation and guaranteed fellowship with God.
According to the Scriptures Paul is thankful when he heard about the enduring hope the believers had in Colossae. They cannot lose. They can be discouraged, they can suffer hardship, they can fight the forces of the evil one. They can be persecuted, and knocked down, but not knocked out, because after the dust settles in all our scuffles, Jesus is the victor standing there calling His people home forever. Oh, that we would recognize the hope that is in Jesus Christ! The good news is Jesus won and the Kingdom of God is growing in the world. We are on the winning side.
This hope comes because of the gospel which they heard. This gospel is the spreading of the Word no of God. Now our task, together, is to sow the Word. It is the good news that is bringing forth fruit. Hope results in different life, different plans, different priorities, and different decisions. We have the task of spreading the gospel in anticipation of the Kingdom. Hope is the root, faith is the plant, and love is the fruit. Hope is foundation. What produces hope? It is awakened by the gospel, the good news. To the followers of Jesus, hope of heaven suggests life after death. Hope for the believer is not only to go to heaven after death but the awareness of the invisible spiritual kingdom that surrounds us on all sides with the presence of God. Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled for I am with you.” His strength is for you now. His wisdom is available now. I confess, that too often when we face difficulties we tend to look only for human help and forget that God's help is instantly available. Praise God, He gives us, His people, at certain times to make us aware of the fellowship of believers, but sometimes we learn human help is limited and there are needs only God can meet. You are God's people if you know Christ as your savior. You are important people to carry out the task God wants us to carry out. You are rubbing shoulders with people who have no hope, hearing sad stories and meeting them in the streets in stores or having coffee with them. They are lacking in hope and we have the answer. There are some ready to respond because nothing they have lived for has given them any real hope for the future and for eternity. Nothing can, except to trust in Jesus Christ.
Application: Live out the hope that is in you through evangelistic outreach and by showing love and kindness to others in the name of Jesus
Prayer: Lord, help me to live out the hope that is stored up for me in heaven
