Pillar of faith: this is the season of hope

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In Greek mythology, “Pandora, who was created to be curious, could not stay away from the box and the urge to open it washed over her. Horrible things flew out of the box, including greed, envy, hatred, pain, disease, hunger, poverty, war, and death. All the miseries of life had come out into the world. Pandora slammed the lid of the box. The last thing left in the box was hope. “

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the “Essential meaning of hope: wanting something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true.”

Myth and meaning help us understand that hope can be a good or possibly a bad thing. This longing we have for something to happen or to be true can lead us to look at the positives and possibilities or despair when we realize that one has not achieved the desired results.

In life, we all struggle at some point. We all have moments of despair and anguish. The miseries of the world can be seen just by turning on the news. However, there is one thing that all of humanity has in common. It is HOPE.

Where we put our hope is different for many of us. We know the saying (idiom) that “we can hope for the best but expect the worst.” I know that in today’s world this is more than a saying. We can see disasters in the environment, government, cities, communities, family relationships, etc. Many try to hope for the best while seeing horrible things in nature, the world, others, and even ourselves. So where can we find hope? Or better yet, in whom can we find hope?

According to the Bible in Hebrews 11: 1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and security in what we do not see.” This refers to faith in Jesus Christ who will come again for those who hope in Him as Lord and Savior.

There are more than 130 occurrences of the word hope in the Bible. Here are some key passages on hope:

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and courageous, all who hope in the LORD.”

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Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar with wings like eagles; They will run and not tire; they will walk and not get weary ”.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, and to him who seeks him”

Romans 5: 1-6 says it best:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we are now. And we glory in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not shame us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the wicked.

There is hope for humanity, not like the myth of Pandora’s box, but it was revealed to us in the Bible. When we look for hope in the wrong things, we become disappointed. We need to find hope in the right place or rather in the right person. Hope is ultimately seen in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the long-awaited hope of salvation. Jesus is the hope that ends all suffering and evil in the world. Jesus is the future hope of eternal life in heaven.

This hope in Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas because He is the hope that came down from heaven for humanity to be reconciled to God. The Salvation Army believes in “Giving Hope Today.” I believe that when we share the good news of Jesus Christ and help others, we are really giving hope today! So get out there and help out at a food bank or a community cooking or kettle drive and serve suffering humanity. Tell others about Jesus Christ, who is “The Hope of the World.”

Captain Peter Kim / Salvation Army

Reference-www.dailyheraldtribune.com

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