1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Scripture Insights
“Hope” is a fascinating word. For many, it’s little more than a wish. We have wishes about all sorts of things, past, present, and future. We may hope that
past mistakes don’t follow us into current situations. We may desire that new
opportunities will come our way. But although hope is future-oriented, it is
more than ambition for tomorrow.
Hope pulls us into tomorrow with an undergirding belief that, regardless of yesterday or today, something good is waiting for us to meet it. Yet it is easy to waver in our assurance that faith-filled hope is reliable, and then slip into discouragement or disbelief.
Confidence in hope is rooted in our history with Christ. As we learn by experience that God’s hope is a reliable foundation, we have a growing certainty that enables us to move boldly into the future he has in mind. Jesus Christ is the source and embodiment of hope. Hope in and through him anchors our faith and secures quiet, unquenchable confidence in us as his disciples.
Today’s Prayer
Gracious God, may the hope we hold be seeds of holy confidence that navigates us into the path you have laid before us. May we hold steady in uncertain times, relying on your hope of abundance in our lives.
—Julie Cheney
Lead Pastor, Tulare Church of the Nazarene (California)
