Viktor Frankl was a Jewish doctor who survived the death camps in Germany during World War II. He wrote about his experiences, and in particular the effect of hope.
He gave this example. “One of my friends in the camp had a dream that the war would end March 30th. He was convinced the dream was a revelation, but as the date drew nearer, it became clear from the news reports the war was not ending. On March 29th he began running a temperature. On March 30thhe lost consciousness. On March 31st he was dead.”
I believe there is a lesson there for all of us: Nothing kills the heart of a man more than the absence of hope. We can endure almost anything as long as we have hope, however when we lose hope, it lowers our chances of survival.
We live in an age where hope is in short supply. The pandemic has left many of us feeling hopeless and ongoing struggles and hardships can give us the feeling that there is basis to continue to hope for better outcomes. While general optimism is ok, it will not suffice when life is tough. We need genuine hope that goes beyond just “Wishing for something” or “Positive thinking”.
So where do we fine true hope?
There is only one place, one person, one being that we find true hope, and that is the God of the Bible.
Psalm 39:7 “My hope is in You.”
Our God is not only our hope, but the God of hope.
The Author of our hope.
The Builder of our hope.
The Finisher of our hope.
1 Peter 1:3-5, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
by Corville Peters
