Hope For Today

It’s not uncommon in our society these days to have our character shaped by isolation and getting our own way in whatever way we can. It's challenging to live in agreement with people who have ideas and ways of doing things that are different from our way.  For healthy relationships to be formed and maintained we need to develop the character quality of co-operation.

Jesus teaches that the most basic hunger in life is the need to know and live as God intends. Whether we admit it or not, the guilt and shame that comes from living life out of sync with God's purposes leaves us feeling edgy and dissatisfied.  We know something is wrong but we're not sure what. God can help us make things right.

God wants us to live free and with dignity even though He knows that we are flawed human beings who need saving. How do we know that we are rescued from our sin and from the destruction that sin causes?  We receive the forgiveness that God offers to anyone who acknowledges their failures and asks for cleansing.

We're one week on from our celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, demonstrating His power over sin and death and verifying His claimes to be bringing in a new kingdom, the kingdom of God. How are we meant to live in that kingdom today?

It’s just a week since Good Friday and our remembering the great sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  Our world is full of many troubles and the death and resurrection of Jesus is meant to reassure us, particularly during troubled times, that God has a good way forward for us.

I’m so grateful that Jesus Christ gave His life as the seed that died so that you and I could find life with God. The harder part for us is the time when it’s up to us to be the seed that is planted into the soil and dies so that new life can be multiplied.

With full knowledge of our broken past, Jesus looks at us today, asks us to follow Him, and promises to use us in meaningful and satisfying ways if we will do His will.  His resurrection power in us is more than enough to make us successful in the venture.

When Thomas was told that they had seen Jesus, he doubted that it was true. He was afraid to hope again.  Too many surprises.  Too much information.  Thomas just couldn’t deal with any more. Like Thomas, some of us have known the discouragement of hopes dashed and opportunities lost.  In our broken fearful lives, we doubt the presence of a loving caring God with us to help. 

God wants to lift us out of whatever sorrow and darkness has clouded our own souls with life’s challenges.  Our part is to realize that we are not seeing reality as clearly as we should.  God is with us, has been with us, providing us whatever we need for whatever we face. 

The resurrection of Jesus proves that the power of God’s love is stronger than all of evil so anything challenging that happens in our lives is something we can bring to God and expect His power to make changes in us – not just in our bodies but in our souls and spirits as well.

On this Good Friday we are stopped dead in our tracks, so to speak, in amazement, Lord Jesus, at the depth of Your love for us.  While we didn't care, while we scorned You and Your involvement in the earth and our lives You acted on our behalf at huge personal cost.

This is the day in the Christian calendar when we remember Jesus who is so one with us and yet so much better than all of us. At the Last Supper, Jesus should have been the focus of honour with His friends but he’s the one who paid attention to them and who got up and humbly served them by washing their feet. How do we live according to this example?